i ;* i--, J 
 

 
 TIIC AiMERICAiV FRONTIER AND THE SAGUENAY, 
 
 EMBBACINQ 
 
 FULL AND ACCURATE VIEWS AND DESCR[PTIONS 
 
 jyOFALL TH£ MONUMENTS, CITIES. RUINS, LAKES, FALLS, RAPIDS, AND 
 
 asi>nnrm^n*.«-«-. __ * 
 
 TERRITORIAL DEPENDENCIES TO THE CROWN 
 OF GREAT BRITAIN: 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 A VIEW OP r«G AMERICAN BORDER ALONG THE SHORES OP LAKE ERIE 
 AND ROTH BVNKS OF THE NIAGARA RIVER, LAKE ONTARIO, 
 
 AND THE ST. LAWRENCE : 
 
 LIKEWISE, 
 
 A PICTURESQUE PILGRIMAGE UP THE REMOTE AND SUBLIME 
 Saguenay river situated in the 
 Hudson’s bay territory 
 
 WHICH IS THE largest AND MOS'r ELABORATELY FINISHED MOVING PAINT- 
 ING EVER EXECUTED BV MAN IS EXPLAINED IN AN 
 
 
 
OP 
 
 A few of the most Prominent Objects and Places exhibited on the 
 
 Mirror. 
 
 City of Buffalo, 
 
 Erie Canal, 
 
 Grand and Navy Island) 
 Chippewa Battle Ground, 
 
 Niagara Falls, 
 
 Suspension Bridge, 
 
 The Great Whirlpool, 
 
 Queenston Heights, and 
 Brock’s Monument, 
 
 Lewiston & Queerlslon 
 
 Fort Niagara, and Massasauga, 
 
 Lake Ontario, 
 
 Welland Canal 
 Port Hope in a storm 
 Hamilton, Toronto, Coburg, and 
 Kingston, 
 
 Thousand Islands, 
 
 Brockville by moonlight, 
 Ogdensburg and Prescott, 
 
 Fort Wellington, Windmill Point 
 The Great Rapids of Gallop, 
 Long Sault, Cedar, and Lachine 
 The Ship Canals, 
 
 La Chine 
 Montreal, 
 
 Lake St. Peter, 
 
 Three Rivers, 
 
 Batiscan Girondincs,' 
 
 De Chambault, Cape Sante, 
 Cape Rouge, by moonlight 
 Wolf’s Cove, 
 
 Plains of Abraham, 
 
 City, and Citadel of Quebec, 
 BeaUport 
 
 Montmorenci Falls. 
 
 Villages of Lochgerrien, 
 
 St. Anns and Luceann, 
 
 Mount Ton, 
 
 Cape Tourment 
 St. Paul’s Bay, 
 
 Goose Cape and Cape Eagle, 
 
 Great Mai Bay, 
 
 Pro Keag by moonlight 
 The Jesuit’s Archway, 
 
 St. Katharine’s Bay, 
 
 Tadousac Harbor, 
 
 Thence up the Saguenay, 
 fete De Boule Rock, 
 
 The Outlet of the Marguerite River, 
 St. Louis Islands 
 Cape Eternity, 
 
 Trinity Cove, 
 
 Cape Trinity, 
 
 The Three Profiles, 
 
 Statue Point, 
 
 Ha Ha, or Grand Bay, 
 
 'I’he Chicoutimi Channel, 
 
 The Village of the Mills in a snow 
 Storm, 
 
 Chicoutimi 
 
 Boats on ice propelled by wind. 
 
 The head of navigation at the foot of 
 the great Portage or Rapids, near 
 Lake St. John. 
 
AND HISTORICAL VIEW 
 
 OF 
 
 OF THE 
 
 THE NIAGARA, St. LAWRENCE AND SAGUERNAY RIVERS 
 
 EMBRACING THE ENTIRE RANGE 
 
 OF 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNITED STATES & CANADIAN 
 
 FROM 
 
 LAKE ERIE TO THE ATLANTIC, 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 Printed by George F. Bunce, 321 Pearl Street. 
 
 1850 . 
 
Entered according lo Act of Congress, in the jcar 1819, 
 
 BY WILLIAM BURR, 
 
 In t'le Clerk’s office of tho District Court of the United Stales in and for the Southern Di.-Uicl 
 
 of New-York. 
 

 REMARKS, 
 
 In explanation of so vast a range of scenery as is embraced 
 in the Mammoth Moving Mirror, the proprietor proffers his 
 affirmation in testimony of its being a true and faithful delinea¬ 
 tion, every object from the commencement to the termination 
 of the pictorial journey being carefully drawn, colored and 
 tinted on the spot. Confiding in the appreciation of the impar¬ 
 tial public, he trusts they will not confound this truthful piece 
 of arUstic mosaic, with the numerous deceptions misnamed 
 Panoramas which flood the country, and he feels confident the 
 general expectation will be realized. In many instances Pano¬ 
 ramas are the temporary offspring of a few hours copying from 
 old prints and drawings, while the objects in them are provoked 
 to such desperation, at such gross buffoonery and farcical des- 
 tortion, that they appear to break out in open rebellion of all 
 pictorial authority. 
 
 The Public may rely on the Accuracy of the views portrayed 
 on the Colossal Moving Mirror. They Were Not taken on a 
 Flying Trip in a steamboat, but the proprietor, accompanied by 
 the Celebrated Artist, Mr. E. P. BARNES, of New York City, 
 Walked the whole Distance from Lake Erie, along 
 THE Banks of the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, 
 making Full Drawings of the Entire Range of Scenery, 
 many limes encountering great peril, being eompelled to climb 
 and draw each other up the sides of steep rugged Cliffs, which 
 
IV. 
 
 in some places in the vicinity of the Great Whirlpool^ arc 
 several hundred feet above the yawning abyss at their base. 
 Arriving at Lake Ontario, the proprietor fitted up a vessel, and 
 with pilot, crew, and all necessary conveniences for the Artists, 
 proceeded to complete the drawings of this stupendous Work of 
 Art, which occupied about two-thirds of the year—a second 
 vessel having been chartered at Quebec—arriving at the head 
 of the Saguenay late in autumn—ending the voyage amid the 
 snow and ice which so abound in that region. 
 
 Numerous articles appeared in the Canadian Press during the 
 time the proprietor was engaged in making his drawings, one of 
 which, from the Quebec Mercury, July 10, 1848, is here copied, 
 for the purpose of substantiating the truthfulness as well as im¬ 
 mense labor and cost of procuring the drawings—they alone 
 having actually cost more than many of the paintings styled 
 “ Panoramas,” when finished. 
 
 “We are highly gratified in being able to inform the citizens 
 of Quebec and the public generally, that Mr. W. Burr, from the 
 city of New York, (accompanied by superior artists,) has, after 
 a long and dangerons passage of several months through the 
 great Western Lakes, Niagara River, liakes Ontario and St. 
 Jjawrence, arrived in this city. They have made drawings and 
 sketches through the whole route, and have chartered a schooner, 
 fitted her out with stores and suitable guides, and are continuing 
 their way down the St. Lawrence to the Saguenay, will ascend 
 that wild, picturesque, and noble river, and from thence continue 
 down the St. Lawrence to the Gulf and Atlantic, which will 
 complete their wliole line of sketches, forming one continuous 
 view ; the whole distance making nearly 2,00{' miles. These 
 sketches are being made for the purpose of completing a Grand 
 Mammoth Painting, which is intended to exceed in extent, style, 
 execution. &c., anything of the kind ever exhibited in America. 
 This is precisely what is wanted to bring Canadian scenery into 
 notice. 'I’ourists are not generally aware of the many scenic 
 attractions Canada presents, and, consequently, (we presume) 
 visit and revisit hacknied localities faute Ic mieux. We wish 
 Mr. Burr every succe.ss, and cn avani courier of his Painting, 
 can assure our friends of the States, that a treat is in store for 
 them.” 
 
PICTOEIAL TOUR. 
 
 The scenery selected for illustration on this mirror commences 
 on Lake Erie and includes the Niagara river with its stupendous 
 cataract, Lake Ontario, the mighty St, Lawrence, and the dark, 
 wild, and mysterious Saguenay. In addition to the attractions 
 which the gorgeous and romantic scenery on this route possesses 
 for the lover of the beautiful and picturesque ; the painting ex¬ 
 hibits nearly the entire boundary line between the United States 
 and Canada; including the entire range of scenery on both 
 shores from liake Erie to the Gulf of the St. Lawrence near the 
 Atlantic Ocean, and teems throughout with historical associa¬ 
 tions of the highest interest. The extent of country embraced 
 in this painting being so vast, and being truly a terra incognita 
 to many of our readers, a brief geographical description of the 
 great Lakes, forming the source of the St. Lawrence, and a 
 slight sketch of the United Provinces of Upper and liOwer Can¬ 
 ada, will not be deemed inappropriate, before describing 
 the subjects as they appear on the Canvas. 
 
 THE LAKES. 
 
 The most striking peculiarity of this part of North America 
 is its immense lakes, which, in respect to depth and extent of 
 surface have no equal on the face of the earth. Lake Superior 
 is the largest of these inland seas and without exception the most 
 extensive body of fresh water in the world; being about 1,500 
 miles in circumference. In shape it is an irregular crescent, and 
 its length is nearly 400 miles. Its surface is elevated 625 feet 
 above the level of the sea and its ?nea7i depth is 900 feet. More 
 than two hundred and twenty rivers and streams pour into it 
 their waters from the surrounding mountains. 
 
6 
 
 Lake Huron, the second in magnitude of this great chain of 
 lakes, receives the surplus water of Lake Superior by St. Mary’s 
 Channel. Its circumference is supposed to be nearly 1,000 
 miles and the depth is estimated, at from 900 to 1,000 feet. 
 Near its north-western point a narrow strait connects it with 
 Lake Michigan which is entirely included in the United States’ 
 Boundary. By the Lake of St. Clair and the Detroit River, 
 liake Huron communicates with Lake Erie whose circumfer¬ 
 ence is about 600 miles. This in a commercial point of view, 
 ranks as the most important of the whole chain of lakes; pos¬ 
 sessing the most extensive channels of inland communication 
 in the world. By means of the Erie Canal it connects with the 
 Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean ; and by the Ohio 
 Canal, with the Oliio and Mississippi Rivers and the Gulf of 
 Mexico. The Welland Canal, also, on the Canadian side forms 
 a ship channel 6ar vessels to pass through to Lake Ontario, and 
 thence by the River St. Lawrence to the Ocean. 
 
 CANADA. 
 
 This Province derives its name from the Iroquois word Kaii- 
 ata, which signifies a village or collection of huts. It extends from 
 Gaspe in the East, to Sandwich at the end of Lake Erie, in the 
 West. On the West, its shores are washed by Lake Huron, on 
 the South-East by Lakes Erie and Ontario, and by the St. 
 Lawrence as far as the boundary of the 45th parallel of latitude. 
 From thence the great River St. Lawrence flows through the 
 centre of the Province, and contributes as a votive offering to 
 the Ocean, half the fresh water on the surface of the Globe! 
 
 The above brief description, will, it is presumed, be sufficient 
 to convey an adequate idea to the untravelled spectator of the 
 great inland seas of America which form the source of the 
 mighty river whose shores this moving mirror illustrates. We 
 beo- leave to call the attention of those who are about to accom- 
 pany us through these romantic regions, to some historical and 
 statistical particulars connected with the various spots depicted, 
 which will add much to the interest of the pictorial journey. 
 
 THE CITY OF BUPFALO 
 
 Is beautifully situated at the eastern end of Lake Erie and 
 
7 
 
 near the entrance of the Niagara River. The harbor which is 
 of immense capacity and thoroughly secure, is formed by a 
 creek which crosses the southern portion of the city and is 
 separated from the lake by a peninsula. A Breakwater 1,500 
 feet in length projects into the lake, at the extremity of which is 
 situated a substantial Lighthouse. 
 
 Sixty years ago the Seneca Nation owned the entire Western 
 portion of the State of New York, and the right of pre-emption 
 belonged to the State of Massachusetts. Oliver Phelps pur¬ 
 chased this right in 1787, and in June, 1788, he met the Senecas 
 at Buffalo and concluded a treaty by which they conveyed to 
 him the territory lying between the pre-emption line and the 
 Genesee river and a strip of land on the west bank of the river, 
 twelve miles wide and about twenty miles in depth from its 
 mouth. This acquisition is now known as Phelp’s and Gor¬ 
 ham’s purchase. At this time we have no records of any white 
 man inhabiting this region. La Rochefaucold Liancourt, a 
 French nobleman visited this place, then known as Lake Erie 
 in 1795, and speaks of an Inn, where he was obliged to sleep 
 on the floor in his clothes, and in which there was neither “fur¬ 
 niture, refreshment, rum, candles, or milk.” The village rapidly 
 rose into consequence a short time after this, when it was sud¬ 
 denly doomed to destruction. On 30th December, 1813, the 
 British, to avenge the burning of Kingston crossed the river at 
 Black Rock and took, and burnt it, in spite of the gallant resist¬ 
 ance offered by the inhabitants. So complete was the destruc¬ 
 tion that only two dwellings were left unconsumed. The 
 rebuilding of the place was not commenced until 1815. The 
 population in 1811 was estimated at 500; in February, 1848, 
 it was carefully enumerated and found to be over 40,000, so 
 that in 1850 it will probably contain 50,000 souls. The act 
 incorporating the City of Buffalo was passed April 20th, 1832 ; 
 but it may date its great and increasing prosperity from the com¬ 
 pletion of the Erie Canal in 1825. Though but comparatively 
 a brief space of time has elapsed since the first settlement took 
 place; its commerce and consequent opulence has increased to 
 such a degree that it may be confidently predicted that Buffalo 
 is destined to be one of the greatest cities of the Union. She 
 well merits the appellation of the “ Queen City of Ihe Lakes'^ 
 
 Having completed our view of Buffalo, we must take leave of 
 
8 
 
 the beautiful lake and enter the renowned Niagara river, which 
 is the outlet of Lake Erie ; and instead of sailing down the river 
 and viewing one shore only, we will land at Fort Erie on the 
 Canadian shore and walk along the banks the whole length of 
 the river, thirty-three miles, which will bring us to Lake 
 Ontario. By adopting this method we gain an important 
 point, which enables the spectator to view both the American 
 and Canadian shores with the beautiful river flowing between 
 them, and all embraced in one view. It is true, the walk wdll 
 be somewhat lengthy, and in many places we shall be compelled 
 to encounter severe fatio-ue and imminent dangfer. Sometimes 
 descending, at other times climbing the rugged sides of cliffs from 
 two to five hundred feet above the bed of the river, and clinging 
 to shrubs or twigs, and assisting each other from spots where 
 the foot will hardly find a resting place on slippery iflnnacles 
 above. Remember while performing these feats we are often 
 hanging over the wild and roaring rapids. But there is no other 
 way of viewing the Niagara river with its picturesque and 
 romantic scenery. For the reader must bear in mind that no 
 steamboat or other sailing craft, can or dare venture to descend 
 the angry stream farther than Chippewa landing, which is 
 only twenty-one miles from Buffalo. We shall of course suffer 
 the penalties of a hazardous enterprise; and pain, danger and 
 fatigue. And even if we had come all the way from Europe to 
 view the natural phenomena of this extraordinary river, the 
 novelty and grandeur would be sufficient inducement for the 
 voyage. 
 
 FORT ERIE— 
 
 Now a mass of ruins—at the foot of the lake and immediately 
 opposite to Buffalo, now comes in full view. It was captured 
 by tile Americans, July 3d, 1814. A very strong fortification 
 belonging to the United States Government, on a rising ground 
 about a mile and a half North of the City of Buffalo, and half 
 way to Black Rock, is now before the eye, at which place 
 there is an extensive stone pier or dam, affording immense water 
 power and at the same time serving as a feeder to the Erie Canal. 
 A Steam Ferry-Boat runs from Black Rock to the village of 
 Waterloo on the opposite shore of Canada. 'Fhe Erie Canal, 
 crowded with boats containing the rich produce of the Western 
 
9 
 
 Prairies, mn parallel with and at a short distance from the banks 
 of the Niagara river. It is in view from Buffalo to Towna- 
 wanda, nineteen miles, and forms a pleasing and animated fea¬ 
 ture in the landscape, especially as its surface is six feet higher 
 than the river ; caused by the dam at Black Rock. 
 
 THE NIAGARA RIVER, 
 
 Thirty-three miles long,-is, at Fort Erie about a mile wide. 
 It passes through a country of the most fertile and at the 
 same time of the wildest and most romantic character, and 
 in its short and rapid course presents the sublime spectacle 
 of all the superabundant waters of the great lakes rushing 
 along its narrow channel in one immense body, in its way 
 to join the Ocean. The first vessel that ever navigated in¬ 
 land seas of America, was built by La Salle, a Frenchman, in 
 1678, at the mouth of a small creek (supposed to be the Cayuga,) 
 six miles above the Falls. After many unsuccessful attempts 
 the vessel which was of sixty tons burden, ascended the current 
 into Lake Erie by the combined aid of tow-lines and sails on 7th 
 August, 1779. They sailed through a lake to which La Salle 
 gave the name of St. Clair, and after encountering a violent 
 storm in Lake Huron, they passed into Lake Michigan and 
 landed at the mouth of Green Bay. He sent back the vessel 
 laden with rich furs, valued at 60,000 livres, in charge of the 
 pilot and five men ; but they never reached the Niagara, and 
 were supposed to have foundered in Lake Huron. The sloop 
 Detroit of seventy tons built in 1796, was the first vessel bearing 
 the American Flag upon Lake Erie; and in 1818 the first 
 steamboat Walk in the Water” was built at Black Rock; at 
 which time the whole number of vessels on the upper lakes con¬ 
 sisted of thirty sail. 
 
 Descending the Niagara we came to Grand Island, belonging 
 to the United States ; a splendid tract of land covered with noble 
 forest trees. The white oak is here considered to be of superior 
 quality for ship-building. 
 
 CHIPPEWA 
 
 Is twenty miles below Buffalo and two miles above the 
 Falls ; it is situated at the mouth of a creek, which is navigable 
 about eight miles, to the Welland Canal. This village is noted 
 
10 
 
 for the sanguinary battle which was fought on 5th July, 1814, 
 on the plains a short distance from the landing. The American 
 forces were commanded by Major General Brown, the English 
 by Major General Riall, who was defeated with considerable 
 loss. The night before the battle, the American army crossed 
 over the bridge which is shown in the foreground of this 'paint¬ 
 ings and encamped by the old shattered house. Almost the en¬ 
 tire ground where this desperate and bloody battle was fought, 
 is depicted on the Canvas. One of the corner posts of this house 
 was carried away by a cannon shot fired by the patriots or 
 sy'mpathisers while in possession of Navy Island, which is di¬ 
 rectly opposite. We have here, the celebrated ^Slater House, in 
 which a man was killed by a cannon shot fired by the same 
 force, whilst lying in bed. Many shots were fired through this 
 house and barn, by the soi-disant patriots although it was well 
 known that a quiet and respectable family occupied it. Also 
 the ruins of the English Batteries are seen and the abutments of 
 the Bridge which crossed the Chippewa Creek, and which was 
 destroyed by the British in 1814 to prevent the Americans from 
 crossing. A railroad extends from Chippewa to Q,ueenston, a 
 distance of ten miles. Steam-navigation ends at Chippewa. 
 
 NAVY ISLAND, 
 
 The noted fortress of the Patriots in the late insurrection of 
 1837-8 lies in the immediate vicinity of Chippewa, and near 
 Grand Island, but is inferior to the latter in size and richness of 
 soil. Below this and at Schlosser landing the river expands to 
 more than two miles in width, but suddenly contracts to less 
 than a mile. 
 
 Here the Great Rapids commence; the current increasing 
 from five to twenty miles per hour. Noted as the Canadian boat, 
 men are for their intrepidity, they dare not venture farther down. 
 Mrs. Jamieson, in her pleasing work on Canada thus graphic¬ 
 ally describes the rapids, “ The whole mighty river comes 
 rushing, over the brow of a hill, and, as you look up it, seems as 
 if coming down to overwhelm you ; then meeting with the rocks 
 as it pours down the declivity, it boils and frets like the breakers 
 of the ocean. Huge mounds of water, smooth, transparent and 
 gleaming like an emerald, rise up and bound over some impedi¬ 
 ment, then break into silver foam, which leaps into the air in the 
 most graceful and fantastic forms.” 
 
11 
 
 Here the noise of the Falls is distinctly heard, resembling the 
 roar of the sea breaking on the shore ; and a column of mist is 
 seen hovering over the rapid stream in the distance. Below the 
 river bends to the East and is divided by Iris Island, commonly 
 called Goat Island, leaving, however, by far the greater body of 
 water on the Canadian side. This island which divides, and 
 perhaps adds to the beauty and sublimity of the Falls is three 
 hundred and thirty yards wide, and is covered with noble forest 
 trees and a luxuriant vegetation. 
 
 This island extends to, and forms part of the precipice, thus 
 dividing the cataract into two distinct falls. Again, the smaller 
 cascade, is divided by Prospect Island ; so that the Cataract of 
 Niagara consists of the British, or Horse Shoe Fall, between 
 the Canadian shore and Iris Island ; the Central Fall, between 
 the American shore and Prospect Island. The width or periph¬ 
 ery of the first fall is about seven hundred yards ; of the second; 
 twenty yards; and of the third, three hundred and thirty yards. 
 And the whole extent of the Cataract, including Prospect and 
 Iris Island, is rather more than 1,400 yards, from the Canadian 
 to the American side. The perpendicular descent is at different 
 points, variously estimated from one hundred and fifty-eight to 
 one hundred and sixty-four feet. The largest portion of the 
 river flows in an almost unbroken sheet, over the Horse Shoe 
 Fall. 
 
 Many attempts have been made, in prose and verse, by the 
 most talented writers to describe the Falls of Niagara ; but 
 none of them have succeeded in expressing that overwhelming 
 sense of the presence of Omnipotence and the soul-subduing 
 awe which oppresses the mind of the contemplative spectator. 
 In fact, words are insufficient to paint this great and wonderful 
 work of the Creator of all things : — 
 
 “ Here speaks the voice of God ! Let man be dumb, 
 
 Nor with his vain aspirings hither come ; 
 
 That voice impels these hollow-sounding floods, 
 
 And like a presence fills the distant woods. 
 
 These groaning rocks th’ Almighty’s finger piled, 
 
 For ages here, His painted bow has smiled ; 
 
 Marking the changes and the chance of time— 
 
 Eternal—beautiful—serene—sublime!” 
 
 The minds of all who behold the mighty Cataract, for the first 
 
12 
 
 time, are agitated by a variety of conflicting emotions. The 
 thundering sound of this immense volume of water descending 
 from a vast height, causes a palpable concussion of the air ; the 
 ground trembles beneath the feet, and tlie scene conjures up 
 strange phantoms in the imagination. Each is affected according 
 to his natural temperament. The bold and ardent youth, hears in 
 the voice of the resistless flood, the sounds of strife and battle— 
 the shout of the victors and the groans of the dying. The poet 
 beholds visions of unearthly beauty in the wreathing mist, and 
 music, sweet as the Harps of those who sing before the throne 
 of the Eternal, salute his ear. But all confess a feeling of 
 awe and veneration, such as is sometimes felt whilst sailing at 
 night, upon the trackless ocean. The never-ceasing, endless 
 down-pouring of the mighty flood enchains, absorbs all the 
 faculties of the mind, and hours pass unheeded, whilst we stand 
 ruminating o’er its mysteries. The cloudj'’ column from its 
 sounding urn rises by night and day; the covenant rainbow 
 o’er its glowing brow shines ever in the sun ; and when the 
 moon’s unclouded radiance softens all the scene, still gleams the 
 bow of promise there, lifting our thoughts from Earth to Hea¬ 
 ven, and waking memories full of sweet harmonies, as vesper 
 hymtis from some white convent in the distant hills ! 
 
 In plain matter of fact parlance —it is almost impossible to 
 form a conception of the tremendous volume of water passing 
 by the Niagara river over the Falls; yet, below Montreal, the 
 stream of the St. Lawrence which is a continuation of Niagara, 
 is twice as great as in the neighborhood of the Falls ; and at the 
 mouth of the Saguenay, the volume of fresh water which the 
 great river of Canada rolls towards the sea is perhaps more than 
 equal to the aggregate of all the rivers of the Atlantic coast 
 from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico; in¬ 
 cluding even the Mississippi which some writers have gone so 
 far as to name the “ Father of Rivers.” In a word the whole 
 region drained by the St. Lawrence, is one of great lakes, num¬ 
 berless fountains, and deep and rapid rivers, never exhausted by 
 the sun. It has been estimated by Dr. Dwight that 28,359 tons 
 of water are precipitated over the Cataract per second. 
 
 There are many objects of interest connected with the Falls, 
 which can be merely enumerated in this pamphlet. At the foot 
 of the Canadian Fall, a ledge of rock leads into a cavern behind 
 
13 
 
 the sheet of water, called the “ Cavern of the Winds ” The 
 darkness that surrounds it, and the strong wind blowing the 
 spray over the intruders, render this a difficult adventure for 
 those not possessed of strong nerves. The whole region about 
 the Falls, especially below, is unique and full of points of history 
 and wild romance. In the immediate neighborhood, the tourist 
 should visit Niagara Village, the “ Burning Springs” on the 
 Canada side, Lundy’s Lane Battle Ground, and the “Bellevue 
 Fountain” on the American shore. That parties visiting the 
 Falls should have the means of viewing them in every possible 
 manner, and to add to the excitement of—this already exciting 
 spectacle—a small steamboat named the “Maid of the Mist” 
 carries a living freight of delighted, and, we may add fear- 
 stricken passengers, along the base of the American and Cana¬ 
 dian Falls, to be drenched with the spray of the descending 
 waters—a shower-bath on a gigantic scale ! Really, as we stand 
 on the Canadian shore and look down a chasm of near two hun¬ 
 dred feet and behold this audacious little craft loaded with human 
 beings, rolling and pitching in the white-capped surges and close 
 to the base of the great Cataract; at one moment, completely 
 enveloped in clouds of mist—the ne.xt, breaking into view, sur¬ 
 rounded by playful rainbows—we wonder at the temerity of 
 those, who would incur such risk for the mere pleasure of en¬ 
 joying a new sensation. 
 
 On the American side, and just above the Cataract is the 
 pretty village of Niagara Falls, which was laid out in 1805 by 
 Judge Porter, who is the principal proprietor. Here the Cata¬ 
 ract House, delightfully situated on the brink of the rapids, offers 
 excellent accommodation for travellers whilst sojourning at the 
 Falls, On the Canada side, the City of the Falls—and Clifton 
 Village, a salubrious and pleasant retreat offer great attractions 
 to those in search of health. At the latter place the celebrated 
 and elegant “Clifton House,” with its triple colonnade looms up 
 in the foreground; its numerous guests enjoying a full view of 
 the splendid Cataract from the balconies. The road passing in 
 front of this hotel leads directly to the battleground of “ Lundy’s 
 Lane.” This battle was one of the most bloody conflicts that oc¬ 
 curred during the last war. The gallant General Scott, who has 
 lately gathered fresh laurels in Mexico, participated in the action. 
 General Rial! of the English army was captured and the posses- 
 
14 
 
 sioti of the battle ground was stubbornly contested until near 
 midnight, when 1,700 men being either killed or wounded, the 
 conflicting armies, as if by mutual consent ceased the deadly 
 strife, and the bloody field remained in the possession of the 
 dead and dying. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 
 
 We now approach the whirlpool rapids, across whose 
 whirling vortex is thrown a suspension bridge which is now 
 in view. Its wires bind the two nations together as it were, 
 for it is the only means of communication with the opposite 
 shore that ingenuity could possibly devise. The cliffs upon 
 which the towers rest are two hundred and ten feet above the 
 river, and the towers are fifty-two feet above the cliffs. The 
 bridge is upheld by nine cables—four on the North and five on 
 the South side—the sag of the cables is fifty feet. The bridge 
 is only a mile and a half below the Falls and can sustain a 
 weight of seventy tons. Mr. Charles Ellet was the engineer 
 and is one of the proprietors. When the drawings were made 
 only one wire was thrown across the chasm and the proprietor 
 of the Mirror crossed in a car accompanied by the engineer. 
 The length of the span is 762 feet. The whirlpool is confined 
 and pent up between lofty and perpendicular cliffs, the torrent, 
 impatient of restraint rushes between them with lightning speed, 
 until suddenly arrested in its wild career by a bend in the pre¬ 
 cipitous embankment it is forced completely across the mouth of 
 the outlet; again and again it is drawn from its course and car¬ 
 ried round, until with frightful and supernatural efforts, it at 
 length bursts away from its prison-house and dashes forth with 
 loud and exulting cries to mingle its waters with Lake Ontario.* 
 Trunks of trees, timbers, and sometimes dead bodies of human 
 beings and animals are drawn into its vortex and whirl round 
 in the infernal cauldron, in a terrible and mystic dance, until 
 chafed, broken up and decomposed by the action of the waters 
 they finally disappear. Half a mile farther down the stream, a 
 dark chasm in the precipice forming its banks, meets our views, 
 This is known as the “ Devil’s Hole.” A small stream called 
 the Bloody Run empties into this fearful gulf. It is memorable 
 
15 
 
 as the scene of a dreadful tragedy. In 1750 during the war 
 with the French, a supply of provisions and ammunition was 
 sent from Fort Niagara to Fort Schlosser escorted by 100 
 British soldiers. As no suspicion was entertained of any hostile 
 force being in the vicinity, the men marched listlessly and se¬ 
 curely by the side of the ponderous wagons. On arriving at 
 the “ Devil’s Hole,” a tremendous volley was suddenly poured 
 into them, and the terrific yells of several hundred Seneca In¬ 
 dians, allies of the French, drowned even the roar of Niagara. 
 The knife, rifle and tomahawk did their work on the panic- 
 stricken escort before they had time to defend themselves. The 
 red warriors finished their fearful work of destruction, by throw¬ 
 ing over the embankment, the horses, wagons and dying soldiers. 
 Only two of the British party escaped. The little stream ran 
 crimson with human gore and thus obtained its cognomen. 
 About two miles below this, Hewletti’s Cellar, a most singular 
 natural excavation in the rock, fifteen feet below the top of the 
 bank, is even worthy of examination. The country now exhi¬ 
 bits a series of abrupt and elevated ridges, called Oueenston 
 Heights, the banks on both sides reaching an altitude of seven 
 hundred feet, supposed to have been the site of the Falls in 
 former ages. This place is also celebrated as being the scene of 
 a deadly contest between the American and British forces, Octo¬ 
 ber 13th, 1812. The Americans were commanded by General 
 Solomon Van Rensclner, and both the troops and their com¬ 
 mander distinguished themselves by their bravery, though finally 
 overpowered by numbers. General Brock^ the British Com¬ 
 mander was killed while leading on his men. A monument 
 erected to the memory of this brave soldier, who was respected 
 even by his foes, stands on a lofty and commanding situation. 
 It is now, however, shattered and defaced. In April, 1840, some 
 pitiful scoundrel attempted to destroy it with gunpowder and 
 partially succeeded. This monument, and the tree under which 
 General Brock^ breathed his last, are prominent objects in this 
 Picture. At the foot of the height, is the romantic village of 
 Queenston, where the Niagara again becomes navigable. On 
 the opposite or American shore is Lewiston. The shores now 
 suddenly descend to nearly the level of the river, and a verdant 
 plain extends to Lake Ontario. Still further down you approach 
 the town of Niagara. It contains many fine buildings, and has 
 
16 
 
 a population of about four thousand persons. Here is a large 
 Dockyard, with Marine Railway and Foundry, where have been 
 built most of the steamers, now navigating Lake Ontario. It 
 was formerly called Newark, was burnt by the American forces 
 under General McClure in 1813.— Fort George is seen first 
 above the town, dismantled and in ruins. Fort Massasauga 
 pfuards the outlet of the river on the Canadian side and on the 
 opposite shore, the Americans have a strong stone fort, called 
 Fort Niagara^ and between these grim and frowning sentinels, 
 we enter Lake Ontario. 
 
 LAKE ONTARIO, 
 
 Called “ The Beaiitifal^^' which is 500 miles round, llie 
 length measuring three times the breadth, and its surface is 
 231 feet above the level of the Atlantic. The largest ships 
 may sail throughout the whole extent. In many parts a line 
 of six hundred feec has not reached the bottom; owing to 
 this great depth it never freezes except where the water is shal¬ 
 low, along the shores. We are now upon the sparkling waves 
 of this magnificent lake, and steering to the Westward along 
 the Canadian shore, we pass Port Dalhousie, and the entrance 
 of the Welland Canal. This is a work of great magnitude, con¬ 
 structed in the most substantial manner at the expense of the 
 British Government. It is twenty-eight miles long; has twenty- 
 two locks of granite ; and ships and propellers of about 500 tons 
 burthen, can thus pass and repass from Lake Ontario to Lake 
 Erie.—Continuing our voyage Westward, we approach the flour¬ 
 ishing— 
 
 CITY OF HAMILTON 
 
 Which contains about 7,000 inhabitants, standing on Burling¬ 
 ton Bay and situated at the head of the lake. No place in 
 Canada is more distinguished for commercial enterprize. In 
 the rear of Hamilton is a range of heights, a continuation of the 
 ridge from Oueenston Heights, and supposed to have been for¬ 
 merly the boundary of Lake Ontario in this direction. From 
 this point is seen Dundrum Castle^ the seat of Sir Allan McNab, 
 well known in Canadian history.—Our course now takes us 
 down the lake towards the North East, the shores exhibiting 
 scenery of a pleasant and pastoral character; and the pretty 
 
17 
 
 THE CITY OF TORONTO 
 
 Meets oar view. It is distant 42 miles from Hamilton, contains 
 about 2,500 inhabitants and is the third place in point of popu¬ 
 lation in Canada. It is delightfully situated on a bay formed by 
 a low sandy peninsular, called Gibraltar Point, and is the only 
 natural harbor on the Canadian side of the lake. In 1793^ 
 General Simcoe caused this harbor to be surveyed, and founded 
 the town, then called Little York. Two Indians of the Massa- 
 sauga Tribe were at that lime in quiet possession, and myriads 
 of wild fowl crowded the waters of the bay. In 1813, General 
 Pike with a small body of Americans, captured and burnt it; 
 General Pike being killed by the explosion of a magazine. After 
 the peace it was rebuilt, and the name was changed to the old 
 I Indian word Toronto—signifying “ the -place of Comicil.^’ It 
 I is a rapidly rising place, thoroughly English in appearance, and 
 well paved and lighted ; the houses and public buildings are 
 constructed in a substantial and elegant manner. 
 
 The towns of Port Hope, Coburg and other places of less 
 note are now shown on the Painting, and Snake Island meets 
 the view, situated in mid-channel. As you approach the City 
 of Kingston you have a view of the large penitentiary of the 
 Province. 
 
 KINGSTON 
 
 Presents a most imposing appearance from the lake ; sur¬ 
 rounded by martello towers and fortifications lately erected at 
 immense cost by the British Government. It is pleasantly situ¬ 
 ated at the foot of the lake 180 miles from Hamilton, on the site 
 of Fort Frontenac^ which was first fortified by the French in 
 1672. On a high rocky ridge, forming the East side of Navy 
 Bay and extending half a mile into the lake is Fort Henry^ a 
 place of great strength, commanding the city, the harbor and all 
 the approaches to them both by land and water. The Rideau 
 Canal^ a most important work, which commences at Bytown 
 the River Ottawa, terminates here, afrer a course of over 100 
 miles. Steamboats and other craft were by these means enabled 
 to ascend from the St. Lawrence, avoiding the several rapids, but 
 the completion of the several canals around the rapids of the St. 
 Lawrence, has deprived the Rideau of much of its former 
 business. 
 
 3 
 
18 
 
 Kingston was chartered as a city in 1840 and now contains 
 over 12,000 inhabitants. It possesses, besides several fine public 
 buildings a splendid 2'ovni Hall and Market —and next to 
 Quebec and Halifax is considered the strongest military position 
 in North America. 
 
 Leaving Kingston we now enter upon the great 
 mVER ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 And here, let the reader bear in mind that it derives its source 
 from the Rocky Mountains, where it is known as the River St. 
 Louis; then expanding successively into the immense fresh 
 water seas of Superior, Huron, Michigan, St. Clair, Erie 
 and Ontario —below Kino-ston it reg-ains its characteristic fea- 
 ture of a river and continues in an uninterrupted course to the • 
 Atlantic Ocean.—Floating along the stream, which is here from 
 twelve to fifteen miles wide, we find ourselves surrounded by 
 the 
 
 THOUSAND ISLANDS. 
 
 The largest are from eight to twelve miles in length and three 
 to five miles in breadth ; the smallest, not an acre in extent.— 
 Though this extensive group bears the name of the Thousand 
 Isles, there are more than 1.500 of them, forming a perpetual 
 succession of the most romantically beautiful and picturesque 
 objects that can be imagined. The traveller is spell bound 
 whilst viewing with breathless delight these matchless combina¬ 
 tions of rock, wood and water :— 
 
 ■‘Hail Lake of Thousand Isles! 
 
 Which clustered lie within the circling arms, 
 
 Their flower-strewn shores, kissed by the silver tide. 
 
 As fair art thou as aught 
 
 That ever in the lap of nature lay.” 
 
 Warburton, in his Hochelaga thus describes his impressions 
 whilst gazing on this fairy scene :— 
 
 “ Now we are among the mazes of the ‘ Thousand Islands,’ and pass 
 so close to some of them that we can pull the leaves from the bending 
 boughs of the trees, as the merciless wheels of the steamer dash to atoms 
 their beautiful reflection in the mirror of the calm blue water. The eye 
 does not weary to see, but the hand aches, in ever writing the one word— 
 beauty, wherever you steer over this great river—beauty, beauty still.” 
 
19 
 
 As weemerge from this scene of enchantment, therivercontracts 
 to about two miles in width. The scenery is constantly changing 
 —at one moment, white cultivated fields and rural settlements 
 appear—at the next, features of bold outline impart a grandeur and 
 variety to the river and its shores, possessed by no other stream, 
 in an equal degree. Descending, the small village of Ganonno- 
 qui meets our view, and WelVs Island belonging to the United 
 States is also passed.—In 1838 this island was the scene of a 
 daring act of piracy. The British steamer “ /S'ir Robert PeeZ” 
 whilst stopping to wood, was boarded at midnight by a band of 
 armed men, who after ordering the captain, crew and passengers 
 ashore, robbed the vessel of everything valuable and set her on 
 fire. The celebrated Bill Johnson was suspected to be the 
 leader of the ^ang:. Leavingr this scene of outrage we arrive 
 at Brockville, one of the prettiest towns in Canada. The 
 liouses are built with considerable taste, and the scenery they 
 command is exquisite. Below, the small village of Maitland is 
 seen, and we arrive at Prescott, which is a town of some im¬ 
 portance possessing a population of some 4,000 inhabitants.— 
 Fort Wellington, strongly garrisoned, commands the river. 
 Windmill Point, one mile below Prescott is a spot made me¬ 
 morable during the late rebellion. In November, 1838, a body 
 of American sympathizers under the command of a Pole named 
 Van Schidtz landed at this spot to aid the patriots. They took 
 possession of the Windmill and some stone houses, and defended 
 themselves fighting desperately for some time ; but the British 
 forces brinffino' some camion to bear upon them, rendered their 
 position untenable, and the survivors were compelled to surren¬ 
 der. The leaders suffered death on the gallows as pirates; the 
 others were sentenced to transportation for life to Van Dieman’s 
 Land, but have since been pardoned by Q,oeen Victoria. 
 The Windmill and rootless houses shattered by the artillery, 
 o-ive fearful evidence to the spectator of the murderous confiict 
 which there took place. Immediately opposite to Prescott and 
 connected with it by a ferry, is Ogdensburgh, (which with 
 Prescott, the Windmill, Sec. all come in full view, on this 
 great painting,) situated at the mouth of the Oswegatckie 
 river; and as it appears to be a bustling go-ahead town, we will 
 request the reader to land with us and take a bird’s-eye view of the 
 whole city. Prescott, opposite the majestic river, covered with 
 
20 
 
 steam'ers and shipping gliding between them. The rising sno 
 lights up the various streets, and the snug dwellings with hand¬ 
 some flower-gardens attached. Even at this early hour the 
 mills and factories appear to be in full operation ; the venders of 
 millc are serving their customers ; the population are all astir, 
 and the whole place has the appearance of thriving industry and 
 prosperity, which stamps it as belonging to Uncle Sam’s domi¬ 
 nions.—Once more we are upon the bosom of the noble river; 
 and confiding in the skill of an experienced pilot, we fearlessly 
 brave the “ Gallop Rapids,” and hurried through the plunging^ 
 feamino- billows, find ourselves ao;ain in smooth water. A sue- 
 cession of these dangerous rapids extend at intervals, from this 
 point to a little above Montreal; all of them are, however, navi¬ 
 gable by steamers descending, but never ascending; they pass¬ 
 ing in their upward course through a series of Canals^ which 
 have lieen cmistructed all along the shores of the river in order 
 to avoid these rapids. Steara-propsllors, and other craft, freighted 
 vvith the produce of the Far West are enabled to make their 
 transit by the channels from Lake Superior to the St. Lawrence, 
 and from thence across the Atlantic to Europe. The immense 
 rafts of timber which float down this great river and through the 
 surging rapids on their way to Montreal and Quebec are objects 
 of wonder and admiration to all strans'ers. Whilst drifting 
 down some uninterrupted reach, the rafts attached to each other 
 by brackets operating on the principle of a swivel, forming one 
 immense raft, many of them a mile in length. On arriving at 
 the commencement of the rapids, the rafts dissolve partnership, 
 and the hardy lumberers ply their long sweeps with desperate 
 energy until the danger is passed. Yet it often happens that in 
 spite of their skill, the ponderous mass of timber is dashed with 
 resistless force against the rocks, hidden by the foam of the boil¬ 
 ing surges, or islands that intersect the furious eurrent of the 
 river. Many poor fellows meet a watery grave, whilst the logs 
 of timber and sawn lumber on which such labor has been ex¬ 
 pended become the booty of river pirates, always on the alert 
 for such disasters. A great variety of these rafts in different si¬ 
 tuations are faithfully portrayed on the painting which this book 
 is- intended tn aeeompany. As I have occasionally mentioned 
 particular obJecISy as appearing on the painting, it may be proper 
 to state that th© whole range of scenery, including almost every 
 
21 
 
 object and place however minute on both shores from Lake Erie 
 to the Atlantic Ocean, are depicted with the same care and truth¬ 
 fulness as those to which I make particular allusion. 
 
 The iSt. Lawrence is undoubtedly the natural channel and 
 outlet for the produce of all the States bordering on the great 
 Western Lakes. American enterprize has opened an artificial 
 channel, by the Erie Canal, but natural advantages are in favor 
 of the St. Lawrence. In twenty years, possibly in five, there 
 will be a line of packets plying between Chicago and Liverpool 
 completely outflanking New York. —All that is necessary to se¬ 
 cure this, IS the opening the navigation of the St. Lawrence to 
 American vessels. The country is now of a quietly undulating 
 character ; cheerful villages and green clearings diversify the 
 scenery. Gliding by Matilda’s Landing, one of the entrances 
 of the St. Lawrence Canal, we pass successively the villages of 
 Ea.H and West Williamsburg, and then for several miles are 
 carried through the dangerous rapids of the Long Sault. 
 Cornwall, a town of some importance containing about 2,000 
 inhabitants and situated at the lower end of the St. Lawrence 
 Canal is seen, and four miles below on the American side of the 
 river we come to the Indian village of St. Regis, which is on 
 the line of 45 degrees North latitude. Part of this village is in 
 Canada, and part in the United States ; the dividing line being 
 accurately drawn on the foreground of the Panorama ; the River 
 St. Lawrence, below this point being entirely in Canada. 
 Here, on a small portion of the hunting grounds of their once 
 powerful nation, is to be found a settlement of the Iroquois. 
 Many of the men obtain a precarious subsistence by hunting j 
 the women make mitts, baskets and mocassins. The Indian 
 boys are expert swimmers, and. during the summer season, visit¬ 
 ers often put their skill to the test by throwing a piece of money 
 into the river from the steamboat landing, when a half a dozen 
 of the little copper-colored urchins will dive in after it, generally 
 succeeding in catching it before it reaches the bottom, although 
 sometimes compelled to dive to the depth of ten to twenty feet. 
 Passing the light-house we enter an expansion of the river 30 
 miles in length and seven in breadth, called Lake St. Francis. 
 On the shore may be observed a large cairn, or pile of stones, 
 raised by the loyal Glengarry Highlanders in honor of Sir John 
 Colborne, formerly Governor General of Canada. I/Ancaster, 
 
22 
 
 another convenient steamboat landing, is now before ns. It is 
 connected by a road with the celebrated Caledonia Springs, 
 thirty miles distant. The dividing line of the two Provinces 
 crossed, we now arrive at the village of Coteau du Lac^ in 
 Lower Canada, or Canada East as it is generally designated 
 by the Canadians. A few miles further the village of the Cedars 
 is past, and here we behold the mighty St. Lawrence pent into 
 several narrow channels, among wooded islands, and rushing 
 fiercely along over its rocky bed.—Nothing can exceed the ex¬ 
 citing spectacle of the Cedar Rajnds with its frantic billows 
 capped with snowy plumes. The islands which obstruct the 
 current of the river, are perfect gems of beauty. Nature in one 
 of her loveliest freaks, has sprinkled them with flowers, wreathed 
 them with vines, and the flowering shrubs and trees drop their 
 leaves, and dip their branches and buds in the angry tide, as if 
 to deprecate its wrath. Passengers on the deck of the passing 
 steamer may often be seen plucking them from the branehes.— 
 Steamboats pass down these rapids, though not without risk as 
 may be imagined, when the rapid current sweeps them close to 
 rocks and islands, which if touched, would insure destruction. 
 Latterly, however, the route has baen rendered more safe by the 
 discovery of a channel, which it is said was used long ago by 
 the French voyageurs.—In the Cedar and Cascade Rapids, 
 there is a difierence of sixty feet in the elevation in about sixteen 
 miles, and the immense body of water rushes down at the rate 
 of, from twenty to thirty miles per hour. To ascend against 
 this current would be impossible, therefore vessels of every de¬ 
 scription pass through the Beaiiharnois Conal, which com¬ 
 mences at the village of that name, sixteen miles below. In the 
 year 1759, when General Amherst entered Canada, his ad¬ 
 vanced guard, of about 300 men embarked above the Cedars; 
 the intention was to float down and take up a position on the 
 opposite side of the river. Perhaps these dangerous channels 
 were but little known, or that the pilot played them false—none 
 survived as accusers; the next day the lifeless bodies of the 
 British soldiers, clothed in the well known red, floating past 
 Montreal gave the first notice of invasion. Leaving behind us 
 the Cascade Rapids, and passing the light-house, we find our¬ 
 selves upon the bosom of the calm and glassy Lake Rt. Louis, 
 another expansion of the River St. Lawrence two and a half 
 
23 
 
 miles wide at this point. Here the St. Lawrence receives an 
 important accession, by the influx of one branch of the great 
 River Uttawas or Ottawa, from the North West. Its im¬ 
 mense volume of water, (which is probably fully equal to the 
 Ohio River,) is discharged into the St. Lawrence through three 
 separate and distinct channels, the last of which is about 
 twenty miles below ISIontreal, its yellow clay-colored water, 
 forming a striking contrast where it mingles with the pure blue 
 waters of the St. Lawrence. It is said to have its source near 
 the Rocky Mountain.'^, and to travel a distance of two thousand 
 jive hundred miles ; but it has never been fully explored. The 
 scenery along the entire length, owing to the numerous falls and 
 cascades, is extremely romantic. A few miles above this em¬ 
 bouchure of the Ottawa is situated the village of St. Ann. It 
 owes its existence and support to the contributions of the Cana¬ 
 dian voyageurs, who never omit to pay their offerings at the 
 shrine of St. Amie, their tutelar Saint, before engaging in any 
 enterprize.—This gave rise to the Canadian Boat Song of the 
 Poet, Moore;— 
 
 “Faintly as tolls the evening chime, 
 
 Our voices keep tune, and our oars keep time ; 
 
 Soon as the woods on shore look dim, 
 
 Wedl sing at St. Ann’s our parting hymn ; 
 
 Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast. 
 
 The Rapids are near and the daylight’s passed,” &c. &c. 
 
 Many who never have seen and never will see the “ Uttawas’ 
 tide” have sung in cadence to its murmuring tide, till it has 
 become almost a household word. Neither the Hudson, Missis¬ 
 sippi or Ohio, can boast of such charming scenery as is seen on 
 the Ottawa.—Continuing down the lake we arrive at the Iro¬ 
 quois settlement of Caughnawaga or the “ Village of the 
 Rapids j situated on the Southern shore ten miles from Mont¬ 
 real. Their number is about 1,200, they have a very respecta¬ 
 ble church and comfortable houses, they subsist principally in 
 the summer by navigating boats and rafts down the Lachine 
 Rapids ; and in winter by the manufacture and sale of snow- 
 shoes, mocassins, &c. During the troubles of 1838, these In¬ 
 dians rendered an essential service to the government. On Sun¬ 
 day, 4th day of November, a body of armed insurgents had con- 
 
24 
 
 cealed themselves in the woods near the village with the proba¬ 
 ble intention of committing some depredation during the night. 
 Tliese were discovered by some Indian children who were 
 searching for berries and who carried the news to the church, 
 where the warriors were attending divine service. The congre¬ 
 gation turned out en masse and raising the warwhoop, rushed 
 upon the insurgents, disarmed them and took them prisoners. 
 They then carried them down to Montreal and delivered them 
 up to the authorities. Their loyal conduct has been rewarded 
 by special marks of favor from Her Majesty’s Government. On 
 the opposite side of the river is the little village of Lachine — 
 how it came to be thus named is worth relating.—At the time 
 Canada was discovered, the great object of adventure was to find 
 a North West passage to India and China. Champlain, who in 
 his second voyage to this country, made a settlement at Mont¬ 
 real, was so convinced that a passage to the Pacific Ocean could 
 be made by the way of the St. Lawrence and the great Lakes, 
 that he named the river above the rapids Lachine, (China,) 
 meaning that it was the road to China, which name it bears to 
 this day. 
 
 After leaving Lachine the St. Lawrence contracts and boils 
 up and foams in a most terrific manner amongst rocks and small 
 islands, for nine miles, forming the Rapids of Lachine or 
 Sault St. Louis. The current is forced through a variety of 
 narrow channels in many places at the rate of thirty miles per 
 hour, and the roaring of the maddened waters may be heard for 
 several miles. These are the most dangerous rapids along the 
 course of the St. Lawrence; vessels descend them although 
 they often suffer for their temerity; but it is impracticable to 
 ascend except by passing through the fine ship canal which 
 extends from Montreal to the village of Lachine. The noble 
 river now assumes its usual dignified appearance, placidly ex¬ 
 panding to more than two miles in width and leaving the de¬ 
 lightful village of Laprairie on the right hand (where com¬ 
 mences the St. /o/ur railroad) it presents us with a most imposing 
 and magnificent view of 
 
 MONTREAL, the CAPITAL CITY of UNITED CANADA. 
 
 In mid-channel, and one mile from the city, St. Helen's 
 Island clothed with verdure and interspersed with fine trees 
 
25 
 
 amidst which field-works and fortifications peep out—forms the 
 foreground. Facing us to the Westward we behold a spectacle 
 unequalled in North America—a City of Granite, with such 
 an appearance of solidity that it would seem as if intended to 
 last for ages. A massive stone quay extends along the whole 
 river front, forming a delightful promenade in summer. The 
 margin is lined with noble stone-warehouses resembling a row 
 of fortifications ; fronting the St. Lawrence is the Bonsecoiirs 
 Market an imposing structure exceeding many royal palaces in 
 architectural embellishments. The French Cathedral of Notre 
 Dame is a magnificent pile of building—without exception (he 
 largest relimons edifice in America. The length from East to 
 West is 255 feet 6 inches—the breadth 134 feet, and the two 
 towers on the principal or West front are each 220 feet high. It 
 posseses the largest bell in the Western Hemisphere weighing- 
 fifteen tons.—It contains 1,244 pews—and in this immense tem¬ 
 ple 10,000 people can kneel in prayer. Amongst many other 
 fine Churches of which this city can boast, St. Patrick's Catho¬ 
 lic Church is capable of containing 7,000 persons. The public 
 buildings are numerous and imposing. They include the Par¬ 
 liament House, Government House, The Hotel Dieu, two large 
 Nunneries, the Seminary of St. Siilpice, some fine banks, an 
 elegant and convenient Theatre and Barracks for 2,000 men ; 
 while in the rear of the city, Mont Royal, studded with hand¬ 
 some villas looms up majestically to the height of six hundred 
 feet, and forms the back-ground of the picture. During the 
 Canadian riots, on the night of the 25th of April, 1849, the 
 House of Assembly, with all the archives and records of the 
 colonies, for upwards of a century, were destroyed by fire. The 
 books were valued at .£100,000; not eighty dollars worth of 
 property was saved. The loss is irreparable. The Queen’s 
 picture, which was saved from the burning buildings, was de¬ 
 stroyed in the streets. Montreal is well lighted with gas, 
 has an efficient police, and is considered the cleanest city 
 “ in Her Majesty’s Dominions,” and is without exception 
 the cleanest city in America. Here ladies are as often seen 
 walking in the middle of the street as on the side-walk and 
 that too without soiling a kid slipper. Every thing about die 
 city speaks of its French origin, and so tenacious have been the 
 French of their nationalities that a century of English rule has 
 altered slightly their habits or manners. All the public docu- 
 
 4 
 
2G 
 
 ments are still printed in French as well as English. The new 
 streets are spacious containing many elegant stores. The 
 Hotels are numerous ; Donnegana’s, a splendid house equalling 
 in size the famous Astor House of New York has lately been 
 destroyed by fire ; it was unsurpassed in the elegance of its 
 accommodations. In the year 1809 the inhabitants erected by 
 subscription, a monument to Lord Nelson the Hero of Trafal 
 gar. It consists of a stone column surmounted by a fine statue 
 of the naval hero ; it fronts the principal street of which it is an 
 ornament. 
 
 On the second visit of Jacques Cartier to this country, during 
 the reign of Francis I. of France, he heard that there was a 
 large settlement far up the great river called Hochelaga, and he 
 determined to sail in quest of it. After a perilous voyage he 
 discovered a fortified town, belonging to the Huron tribe, dwell¬ 
 ing among rich corn-fields on a beautiful island, and under the 
 shade of a mountain named Mont Koyal, and which time has 
 changed to Montreal. Sixty-eight years afterwards, the Sieur 
 Dements, speaking of Canada, reported that “ the Tillage of 
 Hochelaga was now no more.” 
 
 But in the year 1640, several persons full of religious zeal, 
 formed themselves into a society for the purpose of colonizing 
 the Island of Mont Royal. The king of France ceded to this 
 association the whole island, and Monsieur Maisonneuve was 
 appointed Governor, 17th June, 1642. The spot selected for 
 the city was consecrated by the Superior of the Jesuits, the 
 “ Gueen of Angels” was supplicated to take it under her protec 
 tion and it was named after her, “La Ville Marie.” In 1644 
 the whole of this beautiful domain, which on account of its fer¬ 
 tility is called the Garden of Canada, became the property of the 
 fSt. Sulpicians of Paris, and was by them afterwards conveyed 
 to the Seminary of the same Order at Montreal, in whose posses¬ 
 sion it now remains. At the conquest of Canada by Great Brit¬ 
 ain in 1760, the property and revenues of the Seignories, and 
 all estates belonging to existing religious institutions were guar¬ 
 anteed to the possessors. 
 
 The terms in favor of the French residents were faithfully 
 and even liberally fulfilled by the British government. Civil 
 and religious liberty was granted to the Canadians and great for¬ 
 bearance and generosity were displayed by the captors to the 
 conquered. The Canadians were so gratified with the change 
 
27 
 
 which they experienced in coming under the British rule, that 
 when George IL died in 1760, all the French in Canada of every 
 distinction went into mourning. Within the last half century 
 many capitalists from England and Scotland have settled at 
 Montreal and have infused a vigor and energy into it which is 
 perceptible in its extended commerce and in the improvements 
 which are daily taking place. The completion of the line of 
 canals opening to Montreal and the trade of the Western country, 
 has also added to its wealth and importance. 
 
 Leaving Montreal on our passage to Quebec, we have a fine 
 view on the right hand of iSt. Helenas Island ; its pleasant green 
 slopes and shady glens, affording delightful situations for pic-nic 
 and rural parties, of which the citizens of Montreal frequently 
 avail themselves in the summer. On our left, we are passing a 
 quarter of the city, called the Quebec Suburbs. It contains 
 several buildings of note ; the Military Hospital, the JSew .Tail, 
 and Molso7i's Brewery, an immense range of stone buildings, 
 almost equal in extent to some of the Porter Breweries of Lon¬ 
 don. A little below this a ferry connects with the Village of 
 Longueil on the opposite shore, from whence there is a fine 
 plank-road extending about twenty-three miles to Charnbly. 
 On this road two miles from the village, the first blood was shed 
 during the rebellion of 1837. A peace officer, having two pris¬ 
 oners in custody and accompanied by a party of the Royal Mon¬ 
 treal Cavalry, just previously organized, were returning to Mon¬ 
 treal, when they were intercepted by a large body of armed peas¬ 
 antry, who fired upon them from a large barn and from behind 
 the fences which bordered the road. Several of the cavalry 
 were wounded and their prisoners rescued. We now descend 
 the Rapids of St. Mary and on the North shore, pass in suc¬ 
 cession the villages of Longueil Point and Point aux Trembles 
 and on the South shore the Village of Boucherville. Another 
 branch of the Ottawa now joins the St. Lawrence, still increas¬ 
 ing the already enormous volume of water. Village after vil¬ 
 lage, is now passed, each, with its picturesque church; indeed 
 the whole bank of the river hence to Quebec and 200 miles be¬ 
 low that city, appears to be one continuous village, being thickly 
 dotted with the white cottages, churches and long white barns 
 of the simple kabitans. The French Canadian remains to this 
 day, in all his customs as were his forefathers a century back j 
 he can recognize no improvement either in the tilling of his land 
 
28 
 
 or his household habits. On his saint’s day or the Sabbath, he 
 repairs to his village church clothed in the same style as his an¬ 
 cestors. During the summer he cultivates his land and when 
 the snows of winter cover the earth, he harnesses his little pon¬ 
 ies and accompanied by his happy family, he visits his neighbors 
 and seated round their large square stoves, made in the style of 
 a past century, he passes his long winter evenings in happiness 
 and amuses himself with tales of “ La Belle France^ Kind, 
 hospitable, contented, he asks for no change in his condition, hut 
 only desires to be allowed to do as his fathers did before him. 
 He dies—and his children divide his land, each taking a 
 lef and live over the same old scenes again. There dwells not 
 on the face of the earth a more happy, contented and honest 
 people. Varennes, on the South bank of the St. Lawrence is a 
 delightful place, famous for the mineral springs in its vicinity. 
 Ill the distance the holy mountain, its summit crowned with 
 the Pilgrim’s Cross, which may be seen for many miles, imparts 
 a grandeur to the scene. The Cross was erected by the Bishop 
 of Nancy ; it is made of timber 100 feet high and covered with 
 tin which in the dry atmosphere of this country always retains 
 its brightness, and many a pious hahitan devoutly crosses him¬ 
 self, when he beholds this emblem of his faith shining like burn¬ 
 ished gold in the rays of the setting sun. Fifteen miles further 
 on tlie same side, the St. Lawrence receives the Richelieu river 
 which issues from Lake Champlain and flows for about .seventy 
 miles through a fertile country. Flourishing settlements, neat 
 and populous villages and handsome churches adorn its banks 
 nearly the whole length. Near its junction with the St. Law¬ 
 rence is the pretty village of William Henry or Rorel, called so 
 on account of its being built on the site of old Fort William 
 Henry. This is a military station, the commander-in-chief gen¬ 
 erally residing here. It is rapidly increasing in trade and im¬ 
 portance and numbers about 3,000 inhabitants, principally Brit¬ 
 ish. The American army occupied the old fort in 1776 on their 
 retreat from Quebec, after the death of Montgomery. Contin¬ 
 uing through a cluster of wooded islands we enter Lake St. 
 Peter j which is merely another expansion of the mighty river to 
 about 15 miles in width and 25 in length. The water is shal¬ 
 low and of great variety of tints. It is surrounded by a fine 
 agricultural country, while the scenery along the banks is rather 
 flat and monotonous. Two substantial light-ships mark the 
 
29 
 
 ship-channel which is very intricate. The English government 
 have expended nearly a million of dollars for deepening and 
 improving the channel, rendering navigation for ships of a large 
 class, safe and easy to Montreal, a distance of 530 miles from 
 the Atlantic Ocean. At the termination of the lake the river again 
 rapidly contracts to its usual width, resumes its dignified deport¬ 
 ment and with constantly increasing volume continues on its 
 pilgrimage to the ocean. Here exactly half way between Mont¬ 
 real and Quebec, we approach the old town of Three Rivers 
 —old for the Western world—for it was settled by the French 
 in 1618. It is pleasantly situated on the Western bank of the 
 river at its confluence with the river St. Maurice which enters 
 the St. Lawrence by three separate channels. Two islands, 
 connected by substantial bridges, at the embonchere of the St. 
 Maui'ice give it the appearance of three distinct rivers, and to 
 this the town owes its name. It is famous for its iron forges, 
 established as long ago as 1737. Many wealthy French famil¬ 
 ies reside here. The Rive?' St. Maurice is nearly 150 miles in 
 length and contributes a supply of water to the St. Lawrence 
 nearly eijual in volume to that of the Hudson to the Atlantic. 
 Opposite this, enters the river Becancour. After passing the 
 mouths of the St. Maurice, the shores gradually rise, assuming 
 a loftier and more romantic character. Churches generally with 
 two spires^—-villages and white cottages are profusely scattered 
 along the shore. The population is now very dense on both 
 sides of the river. We now see in succession the Batiscan and 
 St. Anne's rivers—the former a stream of magnitude entering 
 by two channels. Scenery of the most picturesque and varied 
 description continually greets the eye—the view bounded by 
 remote and lofty mountains, from amongst which the rapid river 
 Jacques Cartier rushes impetuously into tlie St. Lawrence. 
 The Richelieu Rapids are next passed—they extend some ten 
 miles and are very shallow and in many places the rocks are 
 visible threatening shipwreck to the unwary mariner. 
 
 The government have, however, erected beacons in the most 
 dangerous places. On the North shore we now pass Cape Saute 
 and directly opposite a smalt settlement called St. Trois. ddre 
 banks of the river have now almost a perpendicular elevation of 
 from 100 to 300 feet and from thence extending back in a beauti¬ 
 ful level plain covered with the richest verdure. Cape Rouge 
 appears on the left, and here for the first time we catch a view 
 
30 
 
 of the Citadel of Quebec connected with so much historical 
 reminiscence. On the South side the Chaudiere River rushes 
 over a beautiful rapid, four nailes from its mouth, dashing and 
 foaming amidst the wildest wood-crowned cliffs, and charming 
 sequestered valleys. Two miles above Quebec, we reach 
 Wolf’s Cove and behold with breathless interest the spot where 
 after so many risks and difficulties, he landed his gallant army 
 and won a glorious grave in the arms of victory. The track by 
 which he ascended the heights to the Plains of Abraham meets 
 our anxious gaze, and not far from the martello tower that 
 stands before us, is a monument erected by a grateful nation, on 
 the very spot where fell the lamented hero in his hour of tri¬ 
 umph. From Quebec to the opposite shore is about three quar¬ 
 ters of a mile, but the basin just below is five times as wide and 
 large and deep enough to float England’s navy. 
 
 We now glide by many deep coves filled with timber, and 
 destined soon to be conveyed to Europe, by the vessels which 
 lie at anchor below. At the foot of the rock is the suburbs of 
 St. Roch, and is the commencement of the lower town. It is 
 built on land which has been saved from the water by the erec¬ 
 tion of docks. A little further down the world-renowned City 
 AND Fortress op Quebec stands in all its grandeur before 
 you, with the standard of England floating from its citadel. 
 
 Standing on the heights of Cape Diamoyid and gazing across 
 the deep channel of the lordly St. Lawrence, which is now about 
 1,400 yaids wide, (but appears to be not half that distance in the 
 clear bright atmosphere) the whole gorgeous scene lies spread 
 before us. 
 
 We cannot resist giving the following lucid description of the 
 CITY OF QUEBEC, 
 
 As furnished by Mr. Buckingham in his interesting work on 
 Canada.—“ The situation of Quebec, is highly advantageous, in a 
 commercial as well as a military point of view, and its appearance 
 is very imposing from whatever quarter it is first approached., 
 though at a distance of 350 miles up from the Sea, the magnifi¬ 
 cent river on which it is seated, is 3 miles in breadth a little below 
 the town, and narrows into about a mile in breadth immediately 
 abreast of the Citadel ; having in both these parts, sufficient depth 
 of water for the largest ships In the world—a rise and fall of 20 
 
31 
 
 feet in its tides—and space enough in its capacious basin, between 
 Oape Diamond on the one hand, and the Isle of Orleans on the 
 other, to afford room and anchorage for a thousand sail of vessels 
 at a time, sheltered from all winds, and perfectly secure ! The 
 River St. Charles, has its junction with the St. Lawrence, a little 
 to the North of the promontory of Cape Diamond, and affords a 
 favorable spot for ship building and repairs, as well as an excellent 
 winter harbour for ships lying up dismantled. 
 
 QUEBEC, 
 
 Lies at the junction of the St. Charles, with the St. Lawrence, 
 the ground plan of which is almost precisely the same as New- 
 York', lying as it does at the junction of the East and Hudson 
 Rivers. 
 
 THE CITADEL OF QUEBEC 
 
 Occupies the highest point of Cape Diamond, being elevated 
 350 feet above the river, and presenting almost perpendicular 
 cliffs towards the water. 
 
 The city is built from the waters’ edge, along the foot of these 
 cliffs, round the point of the promontory, and ascending upwards 
 from thence to the very borders of the citadel itself. It is divided 
 into the Lower and Upper town, the former including all that is 
 below the ramparts, or fortified lines, the latter comprehending all 
 that is above or within that barrier. 
 
 Besides these there is a large suburb, separated from Quebec 
 proper, called the Suburb of St. Roch, on the right bank of the 
 river St. Charles, the only portion of the whole that is built on 
 level ground. This portion of Quebec is building up rapidly 
 and presents a flourishing appearance. Several of the public 
 buildings are so prominently placed, and advantageously seen, 
 that they relieve in some degree, the general monotony of the 
 mass of ordinary houses, and are ornamental to the town ; while 
 the spires of the churches, the dome of the Parliament House, and 
 other elevated points rising from the general surface, with their 
 tinned roofs glittering in the sun, give a liveliness and variety to 
 the picture presented by the city from every point of view, which 
 no other place in America, and indeed few places on the globe 
 presents. 
 
32 
 
 Quebec possesses one of the most beautiful promenades imagi¬ 
 nable ; it occupies the site of the Castle of St. Louis of which 
 Champlahi laid the foundation on Cth May, 1624. The French 
 and English Governors resided in this castle till 1834, when on 
 the 23d January it was entirely destroyed by fire. It has never 
 been rebuilt; but Lord Durham had the site cleared of the ruins, 
 and the whole are floored with wood and converted into a beauti¬ 
 ful platform, commanding one of the most magnificent panoramic 
 views that can be imagined. Mr. Buckingham remarks that while 
 he was there, there were not less than 300 sail of merchant ships 
 anchored in the stream, 163 of which arrived in two successive 
 days, and at least 100 more lay along the side of the wharves and 
 quays. “ As the weather was beautifully fine, and the country 
 still verdant all around, the sight of so many ships seen from a 
 height of 200 feet above the river, with the fine extent of country 
 opposite, thickly dotted with villages and hamlets of the purest 
 white, and the grandeur of the mountains in the distance fading 
 away into a fainter and fainter blue, till scarcely distinguishable 
 from the azure sky of the far horizon, was beautiful and magnifi¬ 
 cent beyond expression.” The line of fortifications enclosing the 
 upper town and citadel is about 3 miles in extent. All communi¬ 
 cation with the upper town is through massive gates protected by 
 heavy cannon. The Western part of the city being deficient in 
 natural strength so fully developed in the rest of the line, has 
 been covered by a combination of regular works, consisting of 
 ramparts, bastion, ditch and glacis. In order to strengthen the de¬ 
 fences of the city on the West, four Martello towers were erected 
 on the plains of Abraham. They extend from the St. Lawrence 
 to the Coteau St. Genevieve at irregular distances from each other 
 of from 5 to 600 yards and about 3| of a mile from the city. 
 
 Their construction is such that they could be readily demo¬ 
 lished by the guns from the walls, should such a step be rendered 
 necessary by their falling into the hands of an enemy, but on the 
 opposite side their construction is exceedingly solid and the plat¬ 
 form on the top is furnished with guns of a heavy calibre. The 
 walk around the ramparts is the most delightful that can be imagi¬ 
 ned ; look out in what direction you please, the eye commands a 
 prospect of fifty miles in extent, replete with all the elements which 
 enter into the formation of a perfect landscape. The author of 
 
33 
 
 Hochelaga thus glowingly describes the panoramic view from the 
 citadel—“Takemountain and plain, sinuous, river, and broad tran¬ 
 quil waters, stately ship and tiny boat, gentle hill and shady 
 valley, bold headland and rich fruitful fields, frowning battlements 
 and cheerful villa, glittering dome and rural spire, flowery garden 
 and sombre forest—group them all into the choicest picture of 
 ideal beauty your fancy can create ; arch it over with a cloudless 
 sky, light it up with a radiant sun, and lest the scene should be too 
 dazzling, hang a veil of light^haze over all, to soften the light and 
 perfect the repose—you will then have seen Quebec on this Sep¬ 
 tember morning.” 
 
 How changed the scene! Winter has cast its frigid mantle 
 over the gorgeous landscape. The St. Lawrence is now burdened 
 with immense masses of floating ice, exhibiting the most varied and 
 fantastic appearance through which the dark leaden colored waters 
 are occasionally seen. The hardy habitans keep up a communica¬ 
 tion with the opposite shore and carry passengers and light goods 
 in their canoes ; landing on the intervening islands of ice, drag¬ 
 ging their canoes across and launching them on the other side. 
 Owing to the immense volume of water and the strength of the 
 current, the St. Lawrence is seldom bound in icy fetters. Howe¬ 
 ver it so happens that about every five years on an average, the ice 
 islands get jammed up together sometimes thrown up into heaps 
 or mounds of great height opposite the city, and the frost binding 
 them, forms a 'pont or bridge, on some very severe night just at the 
 turn of the tide. Winter suddenly casts its manacles over the 
 mighty stream and an immense sheet of glare ice extending for 
 many miles connects Quebec with the opposite shore. When this 
 takes place, it is hailed with almost frantic delight by the whole 
 population. The glassy surface of the river is soon covered with 
 gay parties in sledges and carioles, whisked along at fearful speed 
 by the mettlesome little horses. People clad in fur or blanket 
 coats are seen in all directions sleighing, skating and running. 
 But the feature in the picture most novel and interesting to the 
 stranger is the ice boats. A boat is fixed upon a triangular frame, 
 with runners like those of skates, at each corner; it is propelled 
 by sails sometimes at the rate of 20 knots an hour; a pole with a 
 spike at the end acting as a rudder. Many of these crafts, filled 
 with a jovial crew of both sexes, are sailing on the wind, or tacking 
 
 5 
 
Si 
 
 with the greatest facility, and when viewed from the high banks, im- 
 impart an additional vivacity to the scene. The costume of the 
 peasantry of lower Canada is singular and picturesque, it consists 
 generally of a grey capote or long coat with a hood, a variagated 
 sash around the waist, a red woollen cap on the head, and long 
 boots, reaching to the thighs, or moccassins. This with very tti- 
 fling variation is worn throughout the year. It has been remarked 
 that Quebec has an Italian summer and a Russian winter. From 
 its position it is preculiarly liable to extremes of cold and heat. In 
 summer time the thermometer is often at 100 degrees in the shade, 
 while in the winter the mercury has been known to descend to 40 
 degrees below Zero. Yet the air is pure, dry, and exhilirating, 
 and the climate is exceedingly healthy and only to be dreaded by 
 consumptives. 
 
 Adieu to Quebec ! adieu! to the Citadel of North America 
 and the Gibraltar of the Western Continent —to the battle ground 
 of Wolfe rich in undying memories! We are once more borne 
 along on the deep waters of the St. Lawrence and sigh as the 
 fairy like scene fades on our view. We are passing through 
 fleets of vessels which have come laden with the fabricks of 
 Europe, to take back the growth of the primeval forests. The 
 craft now met with in this part of the river are principally square 
 rigged vessels of the largest size, employed in the timber trade. 
 From 1200 to 1500 arrive annually at the port of Quebec. After 
 passing the mouth of the St. Charles River, a road may be traced 
 leading through the pretty village of Beauport, and amidst farms 
 and beautiful orchards, to the celebrated falls of Montmorenci. 
 At a distance this magnificent cataract appears like a motionless 
 streak of snow upon the precipitous bank of the river; but now 
 we are a abreast of it, and behold the mighty torrent projected 
 with incredible velocity over the perpendicular rock, 250 feet 
 into the St. Lawrence, acquiring a fleecy whiteness as it falls ; 
 while the sun producing a brilliant coloured rainbow at its base 
 adds a charm to the snow like effulgence of the falling torrent. 
 This cataract is decidedly the greatest natural curiosity in the vici¬ 
 nity of Qiiebec. It is about 100 feet higher than the celebrated 
 Niagara Falls, and has been pronounced by many to be more 
 picturesque and beautiful. On a hill close to the Falls is a house 
 which was formerly the residence of the late DuJce of Kent —it is 
 
36 
 
 now the residence of Peter Patterson, Esq., proprietor of extensive 
 sawmills in the vicinity. The lovely island of Orleans 19 miles 
 in length, and about 5 in breadth here divides the greai river into 
 the North and South Channels, the upper part covered with 
 noble forest trees, while cultivated fields and beautiful gardens slope 
 down to the water’s edge at some points, while others present¬ 
 ing high perpendicular banks. At Ause and Maraud, an enor¬ 
 mous vessel called the Columbus was launched in 1824—it was 
 3700 tons register, and carried 4 masts. The next year, another 
 enormous ship, the Baron Renfrew, was launched here, these 
 being constructed with the view of taking them out to England, 
 and saving the duty on the lumber, of which they are composed. 
 This object was however defeated, as it was decided that a voyage 
 was first to be made out of England. The Columbus returned to 
 this country, and was wrecked on her way out, while the other> 
 was lost on the coast of France, on her voyage home. 
 
 The St. Lawrence rolls its immense volume through an ex¬ 
 tended channel of full twenty miles in width, and the shores on 
 the north bank gradually increase in elevation, and covered with 
 the forest, present a wild and rugged appearance. We are now in 
 sight of Mount Ton and Cape Tourment, bold promontories, ris¬ 
 ing to the height of 2000 feet. Grosse Island, 30 miles below 
 Quebec, is a quarantine station. All vessels from sea stop here as 
 they pass up. It is provided with a Hospital, and a Catholic 
 church. Crane Isle, a fertile spot, is passed—and Goose Island, 
 owned by the nuns, and cultivated as a farm by tenants. And 
 now the Pillars, a group of rocky isles, on one of which a light 
 house is erected ; and a floating light marks the intricate and 
 dangerous channel of the Traverse. The scenery increases in 
 interest ; the vast river, looking like the opening to the ocean; 
 the lofty shores, studded with cheerful residences, while hill 
 above hill and mountain above mountain rises up in the dis¬ 
 tance. Near St. PauVs Bay, 65 miles from Quebec is the Isle 
 Aux Coudres, {Isle of Filberts,) which received its name from 
 Jaques Cartier, on account of the profusion of these delicious 
 nuts which he observed on landing. The bold round peak we 
 see is called Goose Cape, and now we come to the well culti¬ 
 vated settlement of Mai Bay, or Murray Bay, at the mouth of the 
 Mai Bay river. It is inhabited chiefly by the descendants of the 
 highlanders, engaged in Wolfe’s campaign, who settled here 
 
36 
 
 and intermarried with the Canadians. The water here being 
 perfectly salt, many families from Quebec visit Mai Bay for the 
 purposes of sea bathing. 
 
 Continuous ranges of hills and mountain scenery can now be 
 seen in every direction. The grand and lofty mountain peaks 
 of Cape Eagle and Cape Salmon, here come into view, and 
 including the noble river, whitened with hundreds of ships, 
 its variegated islands, the numerous shoals of white porpoi¬ 
 se, which frequent these waters, together with scores of 
 seals showing their heads above the water in all directions, 
 with now and then a whale scattering the smaller fry as he ap¬ 
 proaches ; altogether form the varied and startling, as well as 
 the most sublime and beautiful scene imaginable—such as can¬ 
 not be met with in any other part of America, and probably not 
 on the globe. 
 
 The Mississippi is but a low, sluggish creek, compared to the 
 noble and majestic St. Lawrence. The Missouri and Ohio are 
 but tiny streams compared with some of the tributaries of the 
 St. Lawrence. The Hudson is but a drop in the bucket, a 
 rill, winding its way through a small farm or meadow, compared 
 with that immense flood and almost boundless ocean of fresh 
 water poured into the Atlantic through the Gulf of the St. Law¬ 
 rence. 
 
 We are now 140 miles below Quebec, and steering our course 
 for the gap in the stupendous cliffs on the north shore. This is 
 the mouth of the 
 
 SAGUENAY, 
 
 And, although a mile wide, it appears narrow when compared 
 with the mighty St. Lawrence, which at this point is considera¬ 
 bly more than 25 miles in width. Yet the Saguenay is one of 
 the most important tributaries of the great river ; its volume of 
 water is immense, and the depth and force of its current is so 
 sensibly felt at its confluence with the St. Lawrence, that for a 
 distance of several miles, vessels are obliged to yield to its influ¬ 
 ence. It is decidedly the largest river east of the Alleghany 
 Mountains, the St. Lawrence excepted. From the inky blackness 
 of its waters, and the strange, wild, and romantic character of the 
 scenery along its banks, it may be considered unquestionably the 
 most remarkable river on this continent. Whilst we are approach¬ 
 ing the lofty portals of this mysterious stream, a brief description 
 of the region from whence it derives its source, will better enable 
 the reader to form a proper estimate of this great v/onder of nature. 
 
37 
 
 In an immense valley, forming part of the territory belonging 
 to the Hudson's Bay Company, and about 42 leagues north from 
 the St. Lawrence, is the beautiful Lake of St. John. Its form 
 is nearly circular; its diameter, about 30 miles, and it serves as 
 a great natural reservoir, into which 12 rivers and many smal¬ 
 ler streams discharge their waters. The Saguenay is the only 
 outlet by which this vast collection of water finds its way to the 
 St. Lawrence. Its scenery is of the wildest and most startling 
 description through its whole length, which is about 130 miles 
 from Lake St. John to Tadousac Bay. The first half of its 
 course lies through a wilderness of hills covered with the pine, 
 the fir, and the spruce, and numerous and formidable rapids 
 render the navigation hazardous except to experienced canoe- 
 men. But below Chicoutimi, which is 68 miles from its mouth, 
 it is navigable for the largest vessels. From Ha! Ha! Bay, 
 downwards, the passage of its waters is through solid moun¬ 
 tains of sienite granite, which seem to have been split asunder 
 by the upheavings of an earthquake, thus forming an immense 
 canal with banks of perpendicular rocks, towering up to 1500 
 or 2000 feet above the water, which is about 150 fathoms deep 
 nearly the whole distance. Its depth at different points has never 
 been ascertained ; it has been plumbed with a line of 330 fathoms, 
 or 1980 feet, and that too immediately at the base of the 
 cliff, and no bottom could be found. The power of language is 
 inadequate to describe this great specimen of nature’s handi¬ 
 work, nor is it possible to convey to the reader any conception 
 of it, by adducing any other river scenery as a simile—for no¬ 
 thing like it can be found in North America. 
 
 “ 1 can’t describe it though so much it strike, 
 
 Nor liken it—I never saw the like.” 
 
 Mr. Charles Lanman, a talented writer and artist, who lately 
 made a tour through lower Canada, thus speaks of the Sague¬ 
 nay.—“Imagine for a moment, an extensive country of rocky, 
 and thinly clad mountains suddenly separated by some convul¬ 
 sion of nature, so as to form an almost bottomless chasm, vary¬ 
 ing from one to two miles in width ; and then imagine this 
 chasm suddenly half filled with water, and that the moss of cen¬ 
 turies has softened the rugged walls on either side, and you will 
 have a pretty accurate idea of the Saguenay.”-“And ge¬ 
 
 nerally speaking, these towering bulwarks are not content to 
 loom perpendicularly into the air; but they must needs bend 
 
38 
 
 over, as if to look at their own savage features reflected in the 
 deep. Ay ; and that word deep but tells the simple truth ; for 
 the flood that rolls beneath is black and cold as the bottomless, 
 
 pPt.-Awful, beyond expression, 1 can assure you, is the 
 
 sensation which one experiences in sailing along the Saguenay, 
 to raise his eye heavenward, and behold hanging directly over 
 his head, a mass of granite, apparently ready to totter and fall, 
 and weighing perhaps a million of tons. Terrible and sublime 
 beyond the imagery of the most daring poet, are these clifis ; 
 and while they proclaim the omnipotent power of God, they at 
 the same time whisper into the ear of man, that he is but as the 
 moth which flutters in the noontide air. And yet is it not 
 enough to fill the heart of man with holy pride and unbounded 
 love, to remember that the soul within him shall have but com¬ 
 menced its existence, when all the mountains of the world shall 
 have been consumed as a scroll 7” 
 
 The tourist, whilst ascending the Saguenay, and passing 
 along the base of these mountain cliffs, whose rugged summits 
 seem to penetrate the blue expanse above, is oppressed by a 
 sense of loneliness and desolation. When he raises his eyes to 
 the vast height of the broken and mis-shapen masses which 
 overhang and threaten momentarily to overwhelm him, the 
 story ('f the Titans seems to be realized, and it appears to him 
 as if they had succeeded in this wild and primeval portion of 
 the globe, in heaping Ossa upon Pelion, and Olympus upon Os¬ 
 sa. Even when the bright sun lights up each rocky pinnacle, 
 or fir-crowned height, and tips with brilliancy the snowy foam- 
 caps of the waves ; and small light fleecy clouds hang midway 
 up the moss-covered precipice, as if they were the guardian spi¬ 
 rits of the place ; and the salmon, shining like molten silver, as 
 they leap into the air after their tiny prey ; and the balmy air, 
 laden with the perfume of wild flowers, salutes his nostrils ; and 
 while the warm atmosphere of summer tints every object with 
 couleur de rose—if even at such a time as this, the gigantic and 
 everlasting hills produce a sensation of awe—imagine what 
 must be the feelings of the solitary voyageur in his bark canoe, 
 when overtaken by the storm, as he floats on the bosom of this 
 wild river, shut in on both sides by precipitous walls of granite, 
 and cutting off all hope of shelter. A sweeping wind rushes 
 suddenly through the chasm, accompanied by heavy pattering 
 rain ; darkness closing in above like a pall, turns the already 
 
39 
 
 leaden coloured waters to the hue of ink. Heavens ! what a 
 flash of bright lightning darts out from the palpable darkness, 
 bringing into sadden view the ghastly and spectral forms of the 
 rugged cliffs—and now the thunder peals forth with such a 
 deafening crash, that loose boulders and masses of rock come 
 leaping and plunging into the startled wave—every rock and, 
 cavern, and distant mountain take up and repeat the wild echoes, 
 whilst the constant flashes of the vivid lightning reveal the hor¬ 
 ror stricken traveller on his knees in the canoe, his head bowed 
 in prayer, and although paralyzed with fear—yet trusting to 
 him alone who can put forth his hand to save at that awful mo¬ 
 ment. 
 
 But see ! the clouds are breaking up; the storm is abating ; 
 the roar of the thunder is more subdued, and is dying away in 
 the distant range of mountains; the seals disport themselves in 
 the sparkling waves ; the white porpoises in shoals are throw¬ 
 ing up the glittering spray in their uncouth gambols : the sun 
 once more tints the landscape with burnished gold; the air 
 purified by the electric current is fresh and elastic, and nature 
 reassured seems more beautiful and joyous than ever. 
 
 We hope the kind reader will excuse us for leaving him so 
 long at the mouth of the Saguenay, whilst we have been hum¬ 
 bly endeavoring to describe the general features of this singular 
 river, under the different aspects of sunshine and gloom. We 
 will now resume our office of Pilot and Cicerone^ and point out 
 the various objects of note as we ascend the river to Chicoutimi. 
 To the left is Tadousac Bay^ which is one of the Kings posts 
 or stations for trading with the Indians. It comprises several 
 stores, <fcc., a chapel, and one dwelling house. These objects, 
 situated on a terrace about 50 feet above the water, including a 
 flag staff and some cannon, and the mountains rising up abruptly 
 in the rear, form a very pleasing object in the picture. Here are 
 extensive salmon fisheries. Looking ahead, we have a magni¬ 
 ficent view of the river in perspective, in which a round moun¬ 
 tain peak, called Tete du Boule, is a prominent feature. The 
 river now inclines to the north for a few miles, but soon turns 
 again to the west; being in many places 3 miles in width, and 
 its depth is profound until we arrive at the bar, 60 miles from its 
 mouth. Nature, in her wildest freaks, has been evidently fash¬ 
 ioning the mountains and rocks into the most whimsical and 
 
i 
 
 40 
 
 fantastical shapes, and objects of the most startling description 
 now follow each other in rapid succession. The T wo Profiles, 
 are strong outlines on the rocks, several hundred feet above the 
 water, and strongly resembling the human face. The St. Louis 
 Islands, a rocky group, and the mouth of the Marguerite river, 
 are passed. And soon we come into view of two tremendous mass¬ 
 es of rock, called Eternity Point and Cape Trinity, rising 
 from the water’s edge to the height of nearly 2000 feet—and so 
 abruptly, that ships of the largest tonnage may sail so close to their 
 base, that the hand may touch them. When the traveller raises 
 his eyes to their vast height, and then thinks of the deep abyss 
 of waters rolling beneath him, he is overcome with awe, and 
 shrinks as he becomes convinced of his own nothingness. Trin- 
 ity Cape has 3 peaks on its summit resembling human heads. 
 On the right side of the Cape, Trinity Mountain, several hun¬ 
 dred feet above the water, is situated the three profiles; when 
 viewed from the left, they bear a strong resemblance to the hu¬ 
 man face ; and the other huge pile of everlasting granite is well 
 designated by the name of Eternity Point. Sheltered between 
 these beetling and over-hanging cliffs, is a delightful recess of 
 the shore, called Trinity Cove,—its retired and lonely beauty, 
 presents a striking contrast with the towering grandeur of the rest 
 of the scene. Further still we come to Statue Point. Here a rock, 
 bearing a striking similarity to the human figure, formerly stood 
 in a niche, far above the water. The figure has, however, top¬ 
 pled from its base, and is hid in the bosom of the deep. A little 
 beyond this. Tableau Rock shoots up perpendicularly from 
 the waters edge, to the height of several hundred feet. We are 
 now passing Grand Bay, or Ha-ha-bay, as it is known by the 
 habitans. It is supposed that it gained the latter appellation 
 from the first voyagers, who, on suddenly beholding what they 
 conceived to be a new channel for the river, exclaimed Ha-ha! 
 It forms an excellent harbor, in which the largest ships of war 
 might ride with safety, and is destined no doubt to be the prin¬ 
 cipal seat of trade in this northern district. Chicoutimi is the 
 next object claiming our attention ; here is a King’s Post and 
 trading Factory. It is situated at the junction of the Chi¬ 
 coutimi River, and consists of several large buildings used as 
 stores. A venerable church, which was built by the Jesuit La- 
 brosse in 1727, stands in the centre of a grassy lawn, surround' 
 
41 
 
 ed by shrubbery. Missionaries come every year, in the months 
 of June and July, to minister to the spiritual wants of the isola¬ 
 ted inhabitants; and by their endeavors, the Indians in the set¬ 
 tlement have, in a great measure, abandoned the use of “ Fire 
 water; and have become orderly and decent compared with 
 other scattered remnants of their race. But they are all a de¬ 
 graded and a down-trodden people—their bold spirit of indepen¬ 
 dence has been crushed by the white man, and the lines of Dry- 
 den can no longer apply to them— 
 
 -“As free as nature Jfirst made man, 
 
 When wild in woods, the noble savage ran.” 
 
 Beyond this point civilization ends; and the savage wilder¬ 
 ness, and the primeval forest, stretchout to Hudson’s Bay,bear¬ 
 ing no signs or traces of life, save the family marked trail of the 
 Indian hunter. 
 
 Into this wild region, where constant impediments to our pro¬ 
 gress present themselves, and grievous privations have to be en¬ 
 dured, we will not invite the reader. The curtain, therefore, 
 falls.—Our romantic trip is ended. 
 
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TESTIMOIIALS. 
 
 Irving House, New York, Nov. 1st., 1849. 
 Mr. Wm. Burr— 
 
 Dear Sir,—I have witnessed your Moving Mirror of the 
 Lakes, the Niagara, the St. Lawrence, and the Saguenay, now 
 on exhibition at the Minerva Rooms, with the greatest pleasure. 
 For fifteen years, I have navigated these lakes and rivers, and 
 am perfectly familiar with all the objects—the Rapids, Islands, 
 and Cities—represented on your painting. I award to your 
 beautiful picture the palm of excellence, as a perfectly truthful 
 and correct delineation of these sources of navigation. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 THOS. MAXWELL. 
 
 Former Commander of the Royal Mail Steamer Gildersleve, 
 since of the Steamer Canada. 
 
 Neio York, Nov. 7, 1849. 
 
 Having been laboring as a Missionary of the Reformed Dutch 
 Church for three years past among the Thousand Islands of 
 the River St. Lawrence, and being familiarly acquainted with 
 the scenery on that grand and majestic stream, it is with plea¬ 
 sure I certify to the accuracy of Mr. Burr’s Mirror, now exhibit¬ 
 ing at 406 Broadway, New York City. The representation of 
 Brockville by moonlight is surpassingly beautiful, while the ra¬ 
 pids, fishing vessels, rafts, with some of the inhabited islands 
 and a floating population in their unique costume, is true and 
 exceedingly picturesque. 
 
 REV. JEROME A. DAVENPORT. 
 
44 
 
 ISew York, Nov. im, 1849. 
 
 Mr. William Burr— 
 
 Dear Sir,—Having visited your “ Mirror of the Lakes” I 
 with pleasure testify to its accuracy. 1 have resided in the Sa¬ 
 guenay country many years, (being in the fur-trading business 
 previous to its occupancy by the Hudson Bay Company,) and 
 next to beholding its sublime scenery, is a visit to the transfer 
 on your canvas. I am also acquainted with the St. Lawrence, 
 and in fact, all the objects which illustrate and enliven your 
 “ Mirror and the superb scenery—unparelleled in the world— 
 which is so faithfully delineated by you, should cause your 
 “ Mirror of the Lakes ” to be visited by all. As far as I am ac¬ 
 quainted, nothing could exceed your correct description or con¬ 
 vey a more accurate impression of this vast and little known 
 region. I am, sir. 
 
 Your ob’t servant, 
 
 MOULTON BULLOCK. 
 
 Johnson-street, Brooklyn. 
 
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 From the Neio York Albion. 
 
 BURR’S MIRROR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 Panoramas have been, almost without exception, caiicatures as 
 portraits of places, and beneath contempt as works of art. This 
 one we strongly incline to believe exceedingly correct, and we 
 know it to be eminently beautiful in an artistic point of view. It 
 would be superfluous to write an article about the geographical 
 position of the St. Lawrence, that great outlet of the Great Wes¬ 
 tern Lakes, the varied interest attaching to the localities it waters 
 in its course, and the celebrity of its principal points. These are 
 well known to most of our readers, and might be to all, without 
 any attempt of ours to play the school-master. We have only to 
 do with the picture, which is, as a whole, altogether unrivalled— 
 an assertion that we make without any fear of contradiction. 
 
 For the convenience of unrolling and managing the square acres 
 of canvas employed, the exhibition is divided by the fall of a cur¬ 
 tain into half a dozen parts, giving the spectator about two minutes 
 breathing time between each. It is otherwise continuous, the eye, 
 by a kind of pictorial license, gliding from one interesting point to 
 another, and jumping over the intermediate space. Without this, 
 an excursion from Buflalo to the Saguenay River, would be un peu 
 trop fort. We have varying effects of weather, season, and time of 
 day; sunlight and moonlight, storms and calms, summer and win¬ 
 ter. So we have the varieties of vessels peculiar to the waters we 
 pass through, from the balks of timber rafted down stream to be 
 converted into shipping, up to the ships themselves. The rafts, 
 canoes, boats, and steamers, are admirably done ; the ships being 
 passable. The still waters throughout are charmingly rendered, 
 and in many places, the troubled stream is no less faithfully repre¬ 
 sented, The utmost care has been taken to give the exact tints of 
 the water, where they are considered characteristic of the locality; 
 the same minute attention being paid also to the local land tints, 
 whereby the labor of the whole has been greatly increased and 'ts 
 faithfulness proportionably augmented. In the rough sketches that 
 we saw last year, we remember noticing particularly all the re¬ 
 quisite memoranda, made by the artists on the spot and at the mo¬ 
 ment. Neither must we forget to give them'great credit for the 
 carefulness and skill they have shown in their perspective ; in some 
 of the town-views this is really remarkable. 
 
 The plunge of the Horse Shoe Fall, at Niagara, is boldly given, 
 
46 
 
 and effective ; and the same may be said of the Suspension Bridge. 
 On emerging from the Niagara River, the pretty little village of 
 that name pleased us much, as a bit of good, quiet, unpretending 
 Art—nothing in the subject, but everything in the treatment. Pass¬ 
 ing Hamilton, we must especially commend the bit of landscape 
 painting shown in the highlands to the right of Sir A. McNab’s ba¬ 
 ronial residence, which is represented in the back-ground. The 
 view of Toronto is excellent, and really valuable, inasmuch as it 
 shows the City from the Lake, previously to the last disastrous 
 fire. Port Hope Light-house in a storm, is cleverly done, as are 
 some pretty island groups between that place and Kingston. Kings¬ 
 ton itself is also very nicely painted, and the Thousand Isles are 
 handled with a picturesque boldness and spirit worthy of their ro¬ 
 mantic celebrity. Brockville, by moonlight, is charming ; and Og- 
 densburgh, seen in perspective, is one of the neatest views of the 
 kind in the whole exhibition. The various rapids between Pres¬ 
 cott and Montreal, are treated with consummate skill; that of La- 
 chine, with the wreck of the Steamer Dawn, being a perfect mas¬ 
 terpiece of effect. The approach to Montreal, and that portion of 
 the city containing Bonsecours Market, with Mount Royal in the 
 background, deserve special commendation. The race of the 
 Steamers Montreal, Lady Elgin, Quebec, and John Munn, here¬ 
 abouts, is also very spirited. There^ is great boldness as well as 
 skill exhibited in the evening tints and brilliant sky under which 
 wo pass Three Rivers, near which place, if we remember rightly, 
 an enormous raft is a curious feature in the scene. But we must 
 hurry on to Quebec, seen by rise of sun, with its Citadel in strong 
 rays of light, and a deep shade resting on the lower town—all very 
 artistic, and not inferior to any other portion. The Falls of Mont¬ 
 morency are capitally painted, especially the glen on the left of 
 them, and thrown back. The high mountain of St. Ann and St. 
 Paul’s Bay, should also be commended. 
 
 Thus hastily descending, we are at the mouth of the Saguenay 
 River, to which the last roller is exclusively devoted ; pity is it that 
 we have almost exhausted our vocabulary of praise, for on the ho¬ 
 nor of an impartial critic, t/iis Saguenay is loorth all the rest put 
 together. The rocky sceneiy of the lofty mountains, that are cut 
 through by this magnificent stream, are given with an air of truth 
 and vigor that really astonished us ; and we believe much the same 
 feeling was conveyed to the minds of those present with us. 
 
 But we must not allow ourselves to hammer out this eulogium to 
 any greater length. Exactly a year ago, in noticing some sketches 
 for this work, we observed, “ Mr. Banvard has given a striking 
 proof of American enterprise ; we trust Mr. Burr will do as much 
 for American taste and skill.” He has done so signally, and we 
 trust he will be rewarded. Whatever success he may meet in New 
 York, we can ensure him a good reception in London, if he go 
 there. 
 
 We were at the Minerva Rooms last evening to see Burr’s 
 Moving Mirror, embracing the most life-like views of the Niagara 
 
47 
 
 River, its Islands, the Falls, Whirlpool, Suspension Bridge, Lake 
 Ontario, the Thousand Islands, the St. Lawrence, Montreal, Quebec, 
 the picturesque Falls of Montmorency, closing with the most beau¬ 
 tiful and amazingly sublime scenery, of the mighty and mysteri(»us 
 Saguenay. Having travelled some years since over nearly the en¬ 
 tire route, we were curious to see how far memory had proved true 
 to by-gone days, and we are compelled to admit, that we more than 
 once forgot our identity, in the marvellous and faithful transcript, 
 which past like magic before our bewildered gaze. The artistic 
 merit of this noble triumph of American skill, is undoubtedly su¬ 
 perior to any other painting of the kind in this country. It being 
 an opaque picture, it is admirably adapted to the taste of the people. 
 We recognised many striking scenes, with the utmost distinctness. 
 We stood some ten year’s ago on the summit of Brock’s Monu¬ 
 ment, on a cold, bleak day, and gazed over the battle-field and snow 
 covered hills, that lost their outline in the distant clouds, and distant 
 waters—we stood again last night, in fancy, on the same spot, with 
 emotions strangely youthful. The whole scene is enlivened by 
 beautiful music, executed by the celebrated Professor Van Der 
 Weyde, on one of T. Grilbert & Co’s. Aeolian pianos, which seems 
 peculiarly adapted to awaken the soul, to the enjoyment of the 
 sublime and beautiful. The stupendous peaks of the Saguenay, 
 are a fitting idenda to the picture, and elicit the most profound ad¬ 
 miration from all who have witnessed them; indeed, they surpass 
 all we ever dreamed of, in the way of the sublime and the grand. 
 More geography of the frontier, may be learned at the Minerva 
 Rooms in a couple of hours, than could be obtained elsewhere in 
 the same number of months.— N. Y. Sun. 
 
 The Saguenay. —We paid a visit yesterday to Burr’s Mirror, and 
 were agreeably surprised at its accuracy in detail, and its fine ef¬ 
 fect as a whole. The picture of the wonderful Saguenay—the 
 most astonishing river on the globe—stealing along the eternal soli¬ 
 tude of its fathomless gulf, between banks that tower far above the 
 clouds—is worth a hundred times the price of admission. 
 
 The proprietor selected objects of curiosity and scenes of the 
 most thrilling interest, innumerable modes of artistic combination, 
 vales on vales of Emerald, and mountains on mountains of Ame¬ 
 thyst, streams on streams of Silver, are not huddled confusedly 
 together, but stretched out into a comprehensive and grand picture. 
 The Saguenay rolls along like a dream through her hushed bed to 
 the gulf. The observer will see that all these lakes and rivers form 
 a perfect chain of water communication. The “ Thousand Islands ” 
 force us into the belief that the Book of Nature has but one page, 
 and that is beauty, wafted to us from some enchanted land of love¬ 
 liness and light. The great segment of the circle of the world is' 
 seen in this picture. Yesterday afternoon crowds were seen leaving 
 the door, as all the seats were secured at an early hour. Persons 
 would do well to procure tickets in advance.— Tribune. 
 
 “ Burr’s Moving Mirror of the Great Lakes, Niagara, St 
 
48 
 
 Lawrence, and Saguenay Rivers.”—We took occasion a few eve¬ 
 nings since to visit this Moving Mirror, now on exhibition at the 
 Minerva Rooms, 406 Broadway, and were amply repaid for our 
 trouble. 
 
 Having passed over nearly the whole of the route described, 
 some four years since, we were prepared to discover what justice 
 the artists had done to their subject, and what, if any errors they 
 had committed to canvas. And (after an evening’s inspection,) we 
 cheerfully accord our testimony to its fidelity, for the color of the 
 waters, the face of the country, the tints of the flowers, the hues 
 of the foliage and shrubbery, the exact condition of the public 
 buildings and private residences, are all so true to nature that we 
 almost imagined that we were taking our tour over again. 
 
 Nobly have the artists acquitted themselves in bringing out a 
 work of so much merit, and one that will, we think, be appreciated 
 by a discerning public. 
 
 We s^y to one and all of our readers, that Mr. Burr, the proprie¬ 
 tor, richly merits your patronage, and those of you who have not as 
 yet seen this great work of art, should by all means take the earliest 
 opportunity of visiting the Minerva Rooms.— Merchant's Ledger. 
 
 Burr’s Moving Mirror. —In these days of Panorama ma¬ 
 nia, of course there are daubs exhibited, dignified with the title of 
 “ panorama,” which are but frauds upon the public, and are calcu¬ 
 lated to affect seriously the interests of those whose exhibitions are 
 really meritorious. As it is the duty of the press to expose these 
 impositions, so it is their duty to direct public attention to exhibi¬ 
 tions which ai'e deserving of patronage ; and we now refer particu- 
 cularly, to what is termed “ Burr's Moving Mirror," and pro 
 nounce it, in all respects, highly deserving patronage, and we trust 
 that no one wall fail to visit it, because it will not only afford con¬ 
 siderable gratification, from the views represented, but viewing it 
 as a work of art, that feeling cannot fail to be enhanced. The trip 
 from Buffalo to the Saguenay river, exhibits views of Niagara, the 
 Horse Shoe and American Fall, the Suspension Bridge ; and emerg¬ 
 ing from the Niagara river, you pass Hamilton, obtain a fine sight of 
 Toronto ; of Port Hope Light-house in a storm—and the group of is¬ 
 lands be tween it and Kingston. You then pass in succession, Kings¬ 
 ton, Brockville, (a beautiful moonlight view) Ogdensburgh—the va¬ 
 rious rapids between Prescott and Montreal, of which city, the paint¬ 
 ing is peculiarly spirited, and the three rivers. You then pass to Que¬ 
 bec, is seen at sunrise ; the Falls of Montmorency, thence descend to 
 the Saguenay river ; the representation of which forms one part of 
 the exhibition, and in all respects is one of the grandest in point of 
 scenery we have ever witnessed, and is delineated in a masterly 
 style. But it is quite impossible by any description to afford an idea 
 of the attractions of the exhibition, and we can only inform those 
 who fail to visit this panorama, that they lose a very great 
 treat .—Evening Mirror. 
 
ERRATA. —On page 17, third line from the top, read 2.5,000 
 for 2,500; and seventh line read Governor for General Simcoe.